AN 

EXTRACT 



FROM THE 



JOURNAL 

OF 

MR. JOHN NELSON, 

PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL. 

Containing an account of God's Deal- 
ings ivith him, from his Youth to the 
forty-second year of his age. 



WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 



Blessed be God , even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 
the Father of Mercies, and the God of all comfort ; who 
comforteth us in all our Tribulation, that we may be 
able to comfort them which are in any Trouble, by the 
Comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of 
God. : liCor. i.3,4- 

Lord, thou hast led the Blind b^ a Way that he knew 
not. y Isaiah xlii. 16. 



J* 1 BALTIMO^f?^ ^ASHrt^^^ 

Published by J. Kingston, Bookseller, 
164 Market-street. 
Magill and Clime, Printers. 

1810. 



THE following Journal was written at 
divers times, for my own satisfaction. 
Abouttwenty years ago, having transcrib- 
ed it, several of my friends saw it, and 
begged it might be printed ; which I re- 
fused at that time. 

Some time after, Mr. Thornton of 
Leeds, a very particular friend of mine, 
desiring to see it, thought, as my case had 
been a means of stirring up many to hear 
the word, this might be of use to comfort 
some who were in trouble, and so advised 
me to put it to the press without delay. 
But I still declined it, till he shewing it to 
several of my friends, who were of the 
same opinion," I at last complied. 

What is wrong may the Lord paruon; 
And that no one maybe hurt by me, or 
anv thing I have written or preached, is 
the sincere prayer of their unworthy ser- 
vant, for Christ's sake, 

John Nblson. 



THE 

JOURNAL 



0> 6F 

Mr. JOHN NELSON. 

I JOHN NELSON, was born in the pa- 
rish of Birstall, ia the West-Riding of the 
county of York, in October 1707, and 
brought up a Mason, as was my father be-' 
fore me. 

When I was between nine and ten years 
old, I was horribly terrified with the 
thoughts of death and judgment, when- 
ever i was alone : one Sunday night as I 
sat on the ground by the side of my fa- 
ther's chair, while he was reading the 
twentieth chapter of the Revelation, the 
word came with such light and power to 
my soul, that it made me tremble, as if a 
dart was shot at my heart. I fell with 
my face on the floor, and wept till the 
place was as wet where I lay, as if Avater 
had been poured thereon. As my father 
proceeded, I thought I saw every thing 
he read about, though my eyes were shut, 
and the sight was so terrible, I was a- 
bout to stop my ears, that I might not 
hear, but 1 durst not ; for as soon as I 
put my fingers in my ears, I pulled them 
back again. When he came to the ele- 
venth verse, the words made me cringe, 
and my flesh seemed to creep on my 



THE JOURNAL OF 



bones, while he said, (e And I saw a great 
white Throne, and Him that sat thereon, 
from whose Face the heavens and the earth 
fled away, and there was found no piaee 
for them : and I saw the dead, small and 
great, stand before God, and the Books 
were opened ; and another book was o- 
pened, which is the book of life: and the 
dead were judged out of those things that 
were written in the books, according to 
their works/' O what a scene was open- 
ed to my mind ! it was as if I had seen the 
Lord Jesus Christ sitting on his throne, 
with the twelve apostles below him ; and 
a large book open at his left hand ; and as 
it were a bar fixed about ten paces from 
the throne, to which the children of Adam 
came up ; and every one, as he approach- 
ed, opened his breast, as quick as a man 
could open the bosom of his shirt. On one 
leaf of the book was written the character 
of the children of God j and on the other, 
the character of those that should not en- 
ter into the kingdom of heaven. I thought, 
neither the Lord, nor the apostles, said 
any thing ; but every soul, as he came up 
to the bar, compared his conscience with 
the book, and went away to his own place : 
either singing, or else crying and how- 
ling. Those that went to the right hand 
were like the stream of a small brook ; but 
the others were like the flowing of a migh- 
ty river. 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



5 



God had followed me with convictions 
ever since I was ten years old ; and when- 
ever I had committed any known sin, ei- 
ther against God or man, I used to be so 
terrified afterwards, that I shed many 
tears in private ; yet when I came to my 
companions, I wiped my face and went oh 
again in sin and folly.; But O ! the hell 
I found in my mind when I came to be 
alone again, and what resolutions I made ! 
Nevertheless, when temptations came, my 
resolutions were as a thread of tow, that 
'had touched the fire. 

When I was abeut sixteen, I heard a 
sermon in our own church, which depriv- 
ed me of rest in the night ; nor durst I sin 
as I had done before for many days. But 
alas ! I looked the wrong way ; for I 
watched those that were older and more 
learned than myself, and what they did, 
1 thought 1 might safely do ; so I turned, 
back to sin and folly. O what evil do the 
old and learned do to those who areyoung 
and unlearned t When their lives are cor- 
rupt, they are certainly the most accursed 
beings on the earth. How many times 
have their example hardened my heart, 
and encouraged me in the broad way ! 
Surely they are a curse to their own chil- 
dren and servants, as well as to their ig- 
norant and unlearned neighbours. 

When 1 was turned a little of sixteen, 
my father was taken ill; which v thought 
A% 



6 THE JOURNAL OF 

was for my wickedness ; yet at that time, 
vile as I was, I prayed earnestly that God 
would spare him for the sake of my mo- 
ther and the young children, and let me 
die in his stead ; but the Lord would not 
regard my prayer Three days before 
he died, he said to my mother, ts Trouble 
not thyself for me ; for I know that my 
peace is made with God, and he will pro- 
vide for thee and the children. " I was 
greatly surprised at his words, wondering 
how he could know his peace was made 
with God. 

In one of my times of trouble I was in 
a stable, and falling into a slumber, I 
dreamt I prayed that God would make me 
happy. But I thought, what will make 
me happy ? I also dreamt that I beheld 
Jeremiah, the prophet, standing on a large 
rock, at the West-gate of Jerusalem. His 
countenance was grave, and with great 
authority he reproved the elders and ma- 
gistrates of the city, for which they were 
enraged, and pulling him down, cast him 
on a dunghill where the butchers poured 
forth the blood of their slain beasts : and 
I imagined I saw them tread him under 
their feet, but his countenance never 
changed, neither did he cease to cry out, 
" Thus saith the Lord, if ye will not re- 
pent and give glory to my name, I will 
bring destruction on you and your city/' 
He seemed so composed and so happy 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



7 



while he lay on the dunghill, and while 
they were treading him under their feet, 
that I said in my dream, U O God ! make 
me like Jeremiah," And though it was 
but a dream, it left such an impression on 
me, as if I had seen it with my eyes. And 
since then, Thou, Lord, in a small mea- 
sure, hast given me a taste of his cup. 

When i was about nineteen, 1 found 
myself in great danger of falling into scan- 
dalous sins ; and i prayed, I believe, 
twenty times for God to preserve me, arad 
give me a wife that I might live with her 
to his glory. He heard my prayer, and 
delivered me out of many dangerous temp- 
tations ; for which I praise his holy name. 

The first time I ever saw my wife was 
at Tonge, where I was going to build the 
new church. I did not know who she was, 
nor where she came from ; but, at first 
sight, I said in my mind, i( That is the 
woman I asked of God in prayer and I 
fully determined, if I got married, I would 
live to his glory. But what are resolu- 
tions when made in our own strength I 



most suitable wife that I could have had, 
in every respect, yet for some years after 
we were married, I did not live to his 
glory, for I loved pleasure more than God : 
yet many times when I had been shooting 
a whole day, and had got the creatures 1 
pursued, I was quite unhappy, and ready 



For though I believe God 




the 



8 



the journal of 



to break my gun in pieces, resolving never 
to shoot or hunt any more. At last I said 
to my wife, " I am determined to leave 
off this course of life, yet it is impossible 
if I stay here ; therefore, if thou art free, 
I will go to Sir Howland Wynn's, and see 
if I can get business there; if not, I will go 
somewhere else at a distance from home/' 
To this she gladly consented. 

On Monday morning we parted in great 
love, praying one for the otner. As 1 went 
from our town, I made use of Jacob's 
words, which he spake to the Lord as he 
went to Padanaram ; and the Lord bles- 
sed me in all my journey. I found work at 
Newark on Trent, and stayed about a 
month. All that time the hand of God 
was upon me, by convicting me of my for- 
mer sins ; so that the sense of his wrath 
being justly kindled against me, made me 
cry to him for mercy, some days forty 
times in the day. Then I went to Lon- 
don, and got into business the day I arriv- 
ed there;. Here my concern for salva- 
tion increased for some time*, and I conti- 
nued to read and pray when I had done my 
work, refusing all company and 1 believe, 
if I had had some one to shew me the way 
I should have closed in with the Lord in 
a saving manner. But I looked at men 
for example, and fell from my seriousness. 
The workmen cursed and abused me, be- 
cause I would not drink with there, and 



MK, JOHN NELSON. 



spend my money as they did. I bore ma- 
ny insults from them, without opening my 
mouth to speak to them again. But when 
they took my tools from me, and said, if I 
would not drink with them, I should not 
work while they were drinking ; that pro- 
voked me, so that I fought several of them, 
then they let me alone. But that stifled 
my concern for salvation ; and I left off 
prayer and reading in a great measure. 
I stayed better than half a year, and had 
not one hour's sickness, nor did I want 
one day's work all that time ; so that by 
my hand labour, I cleared, besides main- 
taining myself, twelve pounds, fifteen shil- 
lings. 

When I came home, I fell into my for- 
mer course. I said to my wife, " I cannot 
live here.'' So I set offfor London again, 
ordering her to follow me in the wag- 
gon. We both got well there, and lived 
in a good way, (as the world calls it,) that 
is, in peace and plenty, and love to each 
other. 

After some time, I had a sore fit of ill- 
ness ; then my conscience was alarmed, 
and I expected to die, and perish body 
and soul in hell. O the distress I was in, 
not through fear of death, so much as of 
the judgment that should follow ! But the 
Lord rebuked the fever, and restored me 
to perfect health. 



10 



THE JOURNAL OF 



After residing some years in London, 
my wife had not her health, therefore we 
agreed that she should take our two chil- 
dren and go into the country, and i would 
follow at a certain season ; which accord- 
ingly I did but I could not rest night or 
day. I said, <( I must go to London a- 
gain/' Several asked me, '* Why I would 
go again, since I might live at home as 
well as any where in the world f 9 My 
answer was, " I have something to learn 
that I have not yet learned but I did 
not know that it was the great lesson of 
love to God and man. When I got there, 
I fell to work presently, and all things 
prospered that 1 pursued. 1 then began 
to consider what 1 wanted to make me 
happy ; for I was yet as a man in a barren 
wilderness, that could find no way out. I 
said to myself, ff What can I desire that 
I have not ; I enjoy good health as any 
man can do ; I have as agreeable a wife as 
I can wish for ; I sun clothed as well as I 
can desire ; I have, at present, more gold 
and silver than I have need of; yet still I 
keep wandering from one part of the king- 
dom to another, seeking rest and cannot 
find it/' Then I cried out, " O ! that I 
had been a cow, or a sheep " for I looked 
back to. see how I had spent about thirty 
years ; and thought, rather than live thir- 
ty years more so, I would chuse strang- 
ling. But when I considered that after 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



il 



such a troublesome life, I must give an ac- 
count before God, of the deeds done in 
the body, who knew all my thoughts, 
words and actions, I cried out, " O that I 
had never been born I" for I feared my 
day of grace was over, because I had 
made so many resolutions and broke them 
all ! Yet I thought I would set out once 
more ; for I said, ee surely, God never 
made man to be such a riddle to himself, 
and to leave him so ; there must be some- 
thing in religion, that I am unacquainted 
with, to satisfy the empty mind of man, or 
he is in a worse state than the beasts that 
perish." In all these troubles I had none 
to open my mind to, so I, wandered up and 
down, in the fields when I had done my 
work, meditating what course to take to 
save my soul. 

I went from church to church, but- 
found no ease. One minister of St. Paul's 
preached about man doing his duty to 
God and his neighbour, and when such 
came to lie upon a death-bed, what joy 
they would find in their own breast, by 
looking back on their well spent life. But 
that sermon had like to have destroyed 
try soul ; for I looked back, and could not 
see one day in all my life, wherein I had 
not left undone something which I ought 
to have done, and wherein I had not done 
many things wrong ; that i was so far 
iVom having a well spent life to reflect up- 



1 £ 



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On, that I saw, if one day well spent would 
save my soul, I must be damned for ever. O 
what a stab was that sermon to my wounded 
soul ! It made me wish my mother's womb 
had been my grave. After that 1 heard 
another sermon, wherein the preacher 
summed up all the christian duties •, but 
he said, man, since the fall, could not per- 
fectly fulfil the will of his Maker ; but 
God required him to do all he could, and 
Christ would make out the rest ; but if 
man did not do all he oould, he must una- 
voidably perish ; for he had no right to 
expect any interest in the merits of Christ, 
if he had not fulfilled his part, and done all 
that lay in his power. Then I thought, 
not on y I, but every soul must be damn- 
ed : for I did not believe that any who had 
lived toyears of maturity, had done all tiiey 
could, and avoided all the evil they might. 
Therefore I concluded that none could be 
saved but little children. O what deadly 
physick was that sort of doctrine to my 
poor sin-sick soul ! 

I thought I would try others ; and went 
to hear Dissentersof divers denominations, 
but to no purpose. I went to the Roman 
Catholics, but was soon surfeited with 
their way of worship. Then I went to the 
Quakers* and prayed that God would not 
suffer the blind to go out ofthew r ay, but 
join me to the people that worshipped him 
in spirit and in truth : I cared not what 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



is 



they were called, nor what I suffered up- 
on earth, so that my soul might be saved 
at last. I believe I heard them every Sun- 
day for three months: what made me con- 
tinue so long was, the expectation of some 
help, by hearing them •, for there was one, 
almost at my first going, that spoke some- 
thing that suited the ; tate my soul was 
in ; but he shewed no remedy. I had now 
tried all but the Jews, and I thought it 
was to no purpose to go to them so I 
thought I would go to church, and read 
and pray, whether I perished or not. But 
I was amazed, when i came to join in the 
morning prayer, to see that I had mocked 
my maker all my days, by praying for 
things I did not expect or desire ; then I 
thought none could he so ignorant as I had 
been, nor so base, to draw near to God with 
their lips and their hearts so far from him. 

In the spring Mr. Whitefield came into 
Moorfields, and I went to hear him : he 
was to me as a man that could play well on 
an instrument, for his preaching was plea- 
sant to me, and I loved the man ; so that if 
any one offered to disturb him, I was ready 
to fight for him. But I did not understand 
him, though i might hear him twenty 
times for aught 1 know. Yet I got some 
hope of mercy, so that 1 was encouraged 
to pray on, and spend my leisure hours in 
reading the Scriptures. Sometimes as I 
was readimg, I thought, if what I read is 
B 



u 



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true, and if none are Christians, but such 
as St. John and St. Paul describe to be 
God's people, I do not know any person 
that is a Christian either in town or coun- 
try. 1 said, " If things be so, I am no more 
a christian than the devil \ 3 and my hope 
of ever being one was very small. In this 
struggle I had but little sleep ; if I slept 
four hours out of twenty-four, 1 thought it 
a great deal : sometimes I started as if I 
was falling into some horrible place. At 
other times I dreamed that 1 was fighting 
with satan, and when I awoke, 1 was sweat- 
ing and as fatigued as if I had really been 
fighting. Yet all this time I was as capa- 
ble of working, both in understanding and 
strength, as ever 1 was in my life ; and this 
was an encouragement to me. In all this 
time 1 did not open my mind to any person 
either by word or letter ; but I was like a 
wandering bird, cast out of its nest, till Mr. 
John Wesley came to preach his first ser- 
mon in MoorfieldSi O that was a blessed 
morning to my soul ! As soon as he got up- 
on the stand, he stroked back his hair, and 
turned his face towards where I stood, and 
] thought fixed his eyes on me. His coun- 
tenance struck such an awful dread upon 
me, before I heard him speak, that it made 
my heart beat like the pendulum of a 
clock ; and when he did speak, I thought 
his whole discourse was aimed at me. 
When he had done, I said, * This man 



MR JOHN NELSON. 



ran tell the secrets of my heart ; He hath 
not left me there, for he hath shewed the 
remedy, even the blood of Jesus Then 
was my soul filled with consolation through 
hope, that God for Christ's sake, would 
save me ; neither did I doubt in such a 
manner any more, till w 7 ithin twenty-four 
hours of the time, when the Lord wrote a 
pardon on my heart. Tho' it was a little 
after Midsummer that 1 heard him, and it 
was three weeks after Michaelmas before 
1 found the true peace of God ; yet I con- 
tinued to hear as often as I could, but not 
to neglect my w T ork. I had many flashes 
of love under the word, when I was at pri- 
vate prayer, and at the table of the Lord ; 
but they were short, and often some sore 
temptations followed. 

Now all my acquaintance set upon me, 
to persuade me not to go too far in reli- 
gion, lest it should unfit me for ray busi- 
ness, and so bring poverty and distress on 
my family : and said, f( We wish you had 
never heard Mr, Wesley, for we are a» 
fraid it will be the ruin of you/ 9 I told 
them, u I had reason to bless God that 
"ever he was born, for by hearing him I 
was made sensible that my business in this 
world is to get well out of it ; and as for 
my trade, health, wisdom, and all things 
in the world, they are no blessings to me, 
any farther than as so many instruments 
to help me, by the grace of God, to work 



16 



THE JOURNAL OF 



out my salvation. " Then they said, they 
were very sorry for me, and should be 
glad to knock: Mr. Wesley's brains out, 
for he would be the ruin of many families, 
if he was allowed to live, and go on as he 
did. Some of them said they would not 
hear him preach for 50i. But I told them 
I had reason to bless God that ever I 
heard him, and I intended to hear him as 
often as I could, for 1 believed him to be 
God's messenger; and if I did not seek 
to be bom again, and experience that spi- 
ritual birth, I could not enter into th? 
kingdom of heaven, which was the doc- 
trine he preached, 

A little after Michaelmas I had many 
trials again, and passion got the advan- 
tage over me : then 1 thought it was to no 
purpose for me to strive any longer, for 
every one endeavoured to provoke me, 
and I could not bear it. About this time, 
I was going out of the Park into West- 
minster, where was a soldier with his 
arms about him, as he was coming from 
guard, who began to talk to some other 
soldiers and a company of Welch women. 
1 was but a few paces from him : the tenor 
of.his discourse was as follows: t( You 
know what manner of man I was some 
months ago ; and none of you pitied me 
then, tho' 1 was going headlong to the 
devil ; for 1 was a drunkard and a swear- 
er, I was a whoremonger and a fighter ; 



MR, JOHN NELSON. 



17 



a sabbath-breaker and a gamester ; nay, I 
know no sin but I was guilty of either in 
word or deed ; so that it is a miracle that 
my neck was not brought to the gallows, 
and my soul to hell long ago : at that time 
I durst wot think of death : for I had no 
reason to think of ought but hell : there- 
fore I was desperate in wickedness, and 
did not put a restraint on my lust or ap- 
petite ; till one day, as 1 was coming out 
of the country by Kennington Common, 
Mr. John Wesley w?.s going to preach, 
and 1 thought 1 would hear what he had 
to say : for 1 had heard many learned and 
wise men say he was beside himself ; but 
when he began to speak, his wards made 
me tremble. 1 thought he spoke to no one 
but me, and I durst not look up, for I 
imagined all the people were looking at 
me ; and was ashamed to shew my face, 
expecting God would make me a public 
example, either by letting the earth open 
and swallow me up, or by striking me 
dead ; but before Mr. Wesley concluded 
his sermon he cried out, " Let the wick- 
ed forsake his way, and the unrighteous 
man his thoughts, and let him return unto 
the Lord, and he will have mercy upon 
him, and to our God, and he will abun- 
dantly pardon/' I said, if that be true, 
I will turn'to God to-day . I immediate- 
ly went home, and began to read and pray, 
keeping out of bad company for about a 
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IS 



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fortnight, and hearing Mr. Wesley as 
often as I could : but my old companions 
missed me, and came to see what was the 
matter : when they found me reading the 
Bible, they cursed and swore, and drag- 
ged me away into an alehouse, where I 
sat down and began to reason with them. 
But O how dangerous is it to encounter 
with satan on his own ground ; for as [ 
talked I began to drink a little, which got 
into my head, when I quarrelled with 
them and fought ; and as 1 was going to 
my quarters, a lewd woman met me, and 
1 had no power to resist her, and was 
again taken captive by the devil. Never- 
theless when 1 had slept, I was so terri- 
fied, I thought I never durst pray more, 
or expect mercy. I was determined how- 
ever, to hear Mr. Charles Wesley that 
night, and by his preaching I had some 
hopes that my day of grace was not over, 
Then I began to pray again, and read the 
scriptures ; and one Sunday morning I 
called at Whitehall Chapel, where the sa- 
crament was going to be administered. I 
went to the table with trembling limbs and 
a heavy heart ; but no sooner had I receiv- 
ed, than 1 found power to believe that Je- 
sus Christ had shed his blood for me, and 
that God for his sake had forgiven my of- 
fences. Then was my heart filled with love 
to God and man ; and since then sin hath 
not had dominion o ver me." 



Mil, JOHN KELSON, 



IS 



These sayings of the soldier were a bles- 
sing to me, for they sunk deep into my 
mind, and made me cry, more earnestly, 
that God would work the same change in 
my heart. I found my soul much refresh- 
ed at the sacrament on the Sunday after, 
and mightily encouraged under Mr. Wes- 
ley's sermon in the afternoon. All the 
week after I felt an awful sense of God 
resting upon me ; and I had a great watch- 
fulness over my words, and several short 
visits of love, having great hope that I 
had got a conipleat victory t)ver my beset- 
ting sin. But passion was yet too strong 
for me, for that night I fell again, and cri- 
ed out immediately, (C I am undone, I 
have lost ail hopes of mercy." All the 
night I was as if I had been given up to 
satan. In the morning, one prayed with 
me, but 1 found no answer ; for my heart 
was as hard as a rock. 

When I went back to my lodging at 
noon, dinner was ready ; and the gentle- 
woman said, "Come,, sit down, you have 
need of your dinner, for you have eaten 
nothing to-day. But when I looked on 
the meat, I said, "Shall such a wretch as 
i devour the good creatures of God in the 
state I am now in I No, I deserve to be 
thrust into hell/' I then went into my 
chamber, shut the door and fell down on 
my knees, crying, "Lord, save, or I per- 
ish," When I had prayed till I could 



20 "THE JOURNAL OF 

pray no more, I got up and walked to and 
fro, being resolved I would neither eat 
nor drink, till I had found the kingdom of 
God. I fell down to prayer again, but 
found no relief ; — got up and walked a- 
gain ; — then tears began to flow from my 
eyes, like great drops of rain, and I fell 
on my knees the third time ; but now I 
was as dumb as a beast, and could not put 
up one petition, if it would have saved my 
soul. I kneeled before the Lord some 
time, and saw myself a criminal before the 
judge ; then I said, "Lord, thy will be- 
done, damn or save/' That moment Je- 
sus Christ was as evidently set before the 
eye of my mind, as crucified for my sins, 
as if I had seen him with my bodily eyes ; 
and in that instant my heart was set at li- 
berty from guilt and tormenting fear, and 
filled with a calm and serene peace. I 
could then say, without any dread or fear, 
4 'Thou art my Lord, and my God * Now 
did I begin to sing that part of the 12th 
chapter of Isaiah, "O Lord, I will praise 
thee ; tho'thou wast angry with me, thine 
anger is turned away, and thou comfortest 
me ; Behold, God is my salvation ; I will 
mist and not be afraid, for the Lord Jeho- 
vah is my strength and my song ; he also is 
become my sylvation/' My heart was 
filled with love to God and every soul of 
man : next to my wife and children, my 
mother, brethren and sisters, my greatest 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



enemies had an interest in my prayers j 
and I cried, tf O Lord, give me to see my; 
desire on them ; let them experience thy 
redeeming love.'* 

In the afternoon I opened thebook where it 
is said, "Unto him that loved us, and wash- 
ed us from our sins in his own blood," with 
which I was so affected, that I could not 
read for weeping. That evening, under 
Mr. Wesley's sermon, I could do nothing 
but weep, and love, and praise God, for 
sending his servant into the fields to shew 
me the way of salvation. All that day I 
-neither ate nor drank any thing ; for be 
fore I found peace the hand of God was so 
heavy upon me, that I refused to eat : and 
after I had found peace, I was so filled 
with the manna of redeeming Love, that I 
had no need of the bread that perisheth, for 
that season. 

At night when I came home, the gentle- 
woman of the house where I had lodged a 
long time, told me to provide a lodging, 
for 1 must stay there no longer than tlrat 
one night ; for her husband was afraid 
some mischief would come either <m them 
or me, with so much praying and fuss I 
had made about religion. 1 told them I 
would come on Wednesday nighty and pay 
what I owed them, and fetch my clothes 
away, praying that God might reward 
them for the kindness they had shewed 
me ; for I had had a fever in the house ; and 



THE JOURNAL 09 



no one could shew more compassion to a 1 
stranger, than they did to me at that time. 

On Wednesday night, according to my 
promise, I went to my old lodging, and 
paid what I owed there, and got my i 
clothes ready to bring away. But having 
forgot something, 1 stept back into the 
room to look for it. In the mean time the 
man said to his wife, " Suppose John 
should be right and we wrong, it will be 
a sad thing to turn him out of doors." 
When I came down, the woman stood at 
the door, and said, st You shall not go out 
of this house to-night/' I said, " What 
will you neither let me go nor stay }" She 
replied, (S My husband is not willing you 
should go ; for he saith, if God hath done 
any thing more for you than for us, he 
would have you shew us how we may find 
the same mercy." So I sat down with 
them, and told them of God's dealings 
with my soul, and prayed with them. 
Soon after, they both went to hear Mr. 
Wesley, when the woman was made a 
partaker of the same grace ; and 1 hope 
to meet them both in heaven. 

On the Saturday following, the dragon 
stood ready to devour my new-born soul ; 
for my master s chief foreman came to me , 
saying, John Nelson, you must look after 
such and such men to-morrow ; there is a 
piece of work to be done with all speed, 
for the Lord of the Exchequer will. be 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



here on a particular day, by v/hich time 
it must be compleated." Sir, I replied, 
you have forgot yourself; to-morrow is the 
Sabbath/ 5 He said he knew that as weil 
as me ; but the king's business required 
haste, and it was common to work on the 
Sunday for his majesty, when any thing 
was upon the finish. I told him, I would 
not work upon the Sabbath for any mau 
in England, except it was to quench fire, 
or something that required the same im- 
mediate help. He said, " Religion has 
made you a rebel against the king/' I 
answered, No Sir, it has made me a 
better subject than ever I was.'' 1 added, 
" The greatest enemies the king has are 
the Sabbath-breakers, swearers, drunk- 
ards, and whoremongers ; for these pull 
down God's judgments upon both king and 
country. 99 Then he said, if 1 would not 
obey him, I should lose my business. I 
replied, " I cannot help it ; tho' it may be 
ten pounds out of my way to be turned 
out of my work at this time of the year, 
I will not wilfully offend God ; for I 
had much rather want bread ; nay, I 
would rather see my wife and children 
beg their bread barefooted to heaven, than 
ride in a coach to hell.'' He swore, if I 
went on awhile I should be as mad as 
Whitefield ; and added, " What hast thou 
done, that thou needest make so much ado 
about salvation ? I always took thee to be 



THE JOURNAL OF 



as honest a man as any I have in the work, 
and could have trusted thee with five hun- 
dred pounds.*'' 1 answered, " So you 
might, and not have lost one penny by 
me.". He said, " What, hast thou killed* 
someboby, or committed adultery, that 
thou art so much afraid of being damned V* 
I replied, " God takes the will for the 
deed ; and though clear from those acts, 
1 deserve to be damned tenfold for other 
crimes ; for if I sin wilfully against God, 
after he hath shewed me such mercy, I 
may expect to have the hottest hell/* He 
said, " I have a worse opinion of thee 
now than ever/* I replied, "'Master, I 
have the odds of you ; for I have a much 
worse opinion of myself, than you can .., 
have.*' 

At night when I went to receive my 
wages, he asked me, if I was still obsti- 
nate ? I answered, " I am determined not 
to break the Sabbath ; for I will run the 
hazard of wanting bread here, before I 
would rnn the hazard of wanting water 
hereafter." He said, «* Wesley has made 
a fool of thee, and thou wilt beggar thy fa- 
mily." I had a glorious Sabbath that day ; 
for God blessed my soul wonderfully both 
under the word, and at the sacrament. 

I went on Monday morning to the ex- 
chequer, to take care of my tools, not ex- 
pecting to work there any more. But God 
hath the hearts of men in his own hamd : 
for he that was so wroth with me on the 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



Saturday, now gave me good words, and 
bid me set the men to work. From that 
time he carved better for me than before; 
neither did he set any man to work on the 
Sabbath as he had said he would. So I 
see it is good to obey God, and east our 
eare upon him, who will order all things 
well ; for if wo refuse to join with the 
wicked, it will be a restraint to them. 

In the time of my convictions, I never 
let my wife know of my trouble ; but now 
I could not eat my morsel alone ; I there- 
forew rote to her and all my relations, to 
seek the same mercy that I had found. \ 
However, all I said seemed as idle tales 
to most of them. 

Some weeks after, three gentlemen (pro- 
fessed deists) fell upon me, and reasoned 
with me for about an hour : but the Lord 
put such words in my mouth, that made 
ihern say* Mr. Wesley had taught me his 
own lesson ; and I was sunk so deep into 
enthusiasm, that I was past recovery. Ne- 
vertheless I see it is bad for weak believ- 
ers to reason with men of corrupt princi- 
ples ; for after some time the enemy 
brought their words to my mind, and began 
to reason with me in this manner : "Suppose 
Jesus Christ should be an impostor 
(as these men say he is) thou art lost for- 
ever. - " O ! the distress I was in for a short 
time. But I made a stop and said, " If 
Jesus Christ be not the Son of God and 



THE JOURNAL 0* 



my Saviour, I wilF be damned, for I will 
have no other/' Then the cloud broke, 
and my soul was. so filled with love, that I 
thought, if all the world, yea and the de- 
vils in hell, were to set on me, they could 
not. make me disbelieve that Jesus Christ 
is a very and true God, and rny Redeemer. 

I daily reproved ail that sinned in the 
work where I was ; so that none of them 
would swear in my presence. But having 
no christian friend to converse with, I 
kept close to God in prayer, and read the 
bible at all opportunities, and heard one 
of the Mr. Wesleys every Sunday, and 
stirred up many others to hear them. And 
though 1 bad many trials, I was so kept 
by the power of God, that nothing dis- 
turbed rny peace for some time. 

Once, however, as I was reading in the 
bible, a gentlewoman (that lived in part 
of the house) brought me a book, and said, 
< ; You are often reading the bible ; if you 
please I will lend you this book s my mo- 
ther, she added, took delight in reading 
therein."' I thanked her and began to 
read. For some pages it was agreeable to 
many things I had experienced in the 
time of conviction ; but it was not at all 
correspondent to my experience, as to my 
conversion ; pleading for sin after con- 
version to keep the saints humble, and ma* 
Icing God the author of all sin. 



V 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



- Then the enemy began to reason with 
me, that I ought not to reprove sin any 
more. From that time my love began to 
oool both unto God and man, and- my 
zeal for the salvation of others abated ; 
and though the more I read, the worse I 
was, yet I was tempted to read it through. 

Before I read in that book, I did not 
know there was a man in the world who 
held such an opinion ; for in my trials, I 
believed every threatening in the bible 
was against the disobedient, and every 
promise to those that turn to God. Bu£ 
now I was tempted to think I was safe, 
do whatever I would. Yet I still prayed, 
" Lord, let me die, rather than live to sin 
against thee/' 

I had never spoke to Mr. Wesley in my 
life, nor conversed with an experienced 
man about religion, I longed to find one 
to talk with ; but I sought in vain, for I 
could find none. 

One time as I was reasoning about what 
I had read, I opened the bible on these 
words, 'f If any man lack wisdom, let 
him ask of God, who giveth liberally, and 
upbraideth not 1 then prayed, " 
Lord, what I know not do thou teach 
me/' And I thought 1 would wait upon 
the Lord in fasting and prayer till he re- 
vealed his will tome; and I did for se- 
veral weeks fast from Thursday night to 
eight o'clock on Saturday morning (spend- 



THE JOURNAL OF 



ing the time I was off my work) ei ther 
upon my knees at prayer, or in searching 
the scriptures ; and before 1 opened my 
bible, I prayed that God would open my 
understanding^ comprehend what I read, 
I think the first scripture that was appli- 
ed to me was, " As ye have received the 
Lord Jesus, so walk in him.'* Then I re- 
membered what state my soul was in, 
when I first received his spirit in my 
heart ; that it was filled with love to every 
soul, and I could pray for all my enemies 
as well as myself; but this book had turn- 
ed me cut of that blessed state I was in, 
by setting me to reason about opinions that 
Inever heard in my life, till several weeks 
after I had received the love of Christ ; 
therefore I said in my mind, let it be right 
or wrong, it is not necessary for salva- 
tion. I found the Lord to be my Saviour, 
before I knew there w r as a man in the 
world of that opinion ; and before I read 
of it, I loved both God and man better 
than I have done since, and was more 
useful in reproving and doing good than 
I am now. I then prayed that God would 
give' lli? that simplicity and godly sinceri- 
ty, that I walked in when he first reveal- 
ed Christ in my heart. And he answered 
me in a wonderful manner ; so that my 
tongue was loosed to reprove, and my heart 
again enlarged to pray for every soul of 
man. 



MR, JOHN NELSON. 



I now went on my way rejoicing for 
some days ; and had so much of the Lord 
all the day long, that my soul seemed to 
breath it's life in God as naturally as my 
body breathed life in the common air. But 
one day I reproved a man for swearing, 
when he told me he was predestinated to 
it, and did not trouble himself about it at 
all, for if he was one of the elect he should 
be saved ; but if not, all he could do, would 
not alter God's decree \ so all that I sai d 
to him, seemed to take no more hold of 
him, than if I had thrown a leather ball 
against a rock. I thought God was very 
good to me, w ho kept me ignorant of those 
opinions till I knew my part in the all 
atoning blood ; for I feared if I had heard 
such things, in the time of my distress, 
they would have been the destruction of 
my body and soul. Yet I durst not say 
any thing against that opinion, but wish- 
ed I had some experienced man to con- 
verse with about it, tor I was brought in- 
to heaviness again by reasoning, but alas I 
not one could I find. 

I still continued to wait on the Lord, 
with fasting and prayer. One fast-day, 
being greatly perplexed, I opened the 
book on these words, " as I live, saith the 
Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of a 
sinner." Then my heart was set at liber- 
ty ; and I cried out, " Glory be to thee, O 
Lord, for thou hast given me thy v/ord ? 



THE JOURNAL OF 



and thy spirit in my heart, to bear wit- 
ness that thou artno respecter of persons*" 

Now I found sueh a desire for the salva- 
tion of souls, that I hired one of the men 
to go and hear Mr. Wesley preach, who 
hath since told me, it was the best thing 
both for him and his wife, that ever man 
did for them. 

All that hard winter, I still fasted from 
Thursday night to Saturday morning ; 
and gave away the meat that I should 
have eaten to the poor, spending my time 
in praving and reading the scripture. 

About this time several came to see me, 
who finding me at work, looked at each 
other like men amazed, and said they 
were glad to see me so well. I told them 
I had not had one day's sickness for six 
months. They said, " A man that work- 
eth at the treasury with you, told us, you 
had been hearing that false prophet, Wes- 
ley ; and had made you go mad, and inca- 
pable of working. }) " Well, said I, here is 
my master, he can testify that I have not 
lost one day's work this half year, nor was 
I better able to do any work in all my 
life ; but I have heard Mr. Wesley, and 
have reason to bless God for it, for he is 
God's messenger for my good." Some 
words that 1 spoke seemed to stick in 
them ; so that I hope Satan will lose 
ground by that false and ill-grounded re- 
port 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



Si 



The enemy, however, now came upon 
me with other temptations, -and prepared 
such instruments to destroy my soul, that 
I feared I should be overcome, and perish 
at last j for wherever I went, the snare 
was laid for me, and my soul was so har- 
rassed with my wicked dreams, that' I 
have often awaked and found my pillow 
wet with tears, after thinking that the 
enemy would reason with me about some 
sin I had committed in my dream ;but this 
drove me more to prayer, and shewed 
me my corrupt nature in such a light, that 
I abhorred myself, and thought the Lord 
never undertook to save one more iike the 
devil in nature than I was. And it was 
often impressed on my mind, that if I held 
out. to -the end, I should have great*reason 
to sing louder in the redeemer's praise 
than any other soul in heaven. 

I would fain have known whether any 
one that had the grace of God in him, was 
tempted day and night as I v/as ; but my 
business being altogether at the court end 
of the town, i had no one to open my mind 
to. Then 1 took up the bible, and after 
praying, happened on these words of St. 
James, " Blessed is the man that endur- 
eth temptation; for when he is tried he 
shall receive the crown of glory, which 
the Lord hath promised to them that love 
him." 



S£ THE JOURNAL CF 

One night, after a day of fasting, I 
dreampt, that I was in Yorkshire, in my 
working clothes, going home ; and as I 
went by Paul Champion's, 1 heard a migh- 
ty cry, as of a multitude of people in dis- 
tress ; and I saw in my dream, the large 
court behind John Rhodes' s as full of peo- 
ple as they could stand by one another. 
All on a sudden, they began to scream and 
tumble one over another; 1 asked, what 
was the matter ? and they told me, Satan 
was let loose among, them, and begged of 
me to get out of the way, for he was com- 
ing ; but I said, " by the grace of God, I 
will not turn to the right hand or to the 
left for him/" Then I thought I saw him 
in the shape of a red bull, running through 
the people, as a beast runs through the 
standing corn, yet did not offer to gore 
any of them, but made directly at me, as 
if he would run his horns into my heart. 
Then I cried out, (< Lord, help me l 3 ' and 
immediately caught him by the horns, 
and twisted him on his back, setting my 
right foot on his neck, in the presence of 
a thousand people ; and I bid them cry to 
Jesus, assuring them, that what they had 
seen me do, he would enable them to do. 
When I awoke, I was in a sweat, and my 
body was as much fatigued, as if I had 
been at hard labour 9 but my soul was fil- 
led with joy. 



MB. JOHN NELSON. 



33 



A little after this, as I was reading the 
Scriptures, a letter came to me ; I saw it 
was not from my wife ; then I said, " I 
fear here is bad news/' Upon opening it, 
I found my daughter was dead, whom I 
formerly idolized : my son was so ill that 
his life was despaired of \ my wife had 
fallen from a horse and was lamed ; my 
father-in-law was dead, and my mother 
was sick. It then came to my mind, that 
when I was at the sacrament, I had made 
a free-will offering to the Lord, of my bo- 
dy and soul, wife and children, and all 
that was near and dear to me ; but I 
thought, how shall I bear it, now the 
Lord has taken them at my hand. I went 
to prayer, and found my heart wholly 
resigned to the will of God. Then it 
came to me, " Let the dead bury their 
dead \ but follow thou me/' I began to 
read again, and the people of the house 
where 1 was, scolded me. because I did 
not weep, wring my hands, and stamp as 
they did, at the loss of a child ; saying, 
I was a hard hearted father. I replied, 
u 1 cannot tell how to chuse what is best ; 
but God cannot err." 

I The May following I was ordered to 
take some men and go to Lord Onslow's, 
near Guildford in Surry, to da a piece of 
work that would last all Summer. This 
was heavy tidings ; for I thought I was 
but weak in faith, and should be deprived 



34 



THE JOURNAL OF 



of hearing Mr. Wesley, and have no ono 
to converse with. I desired to be excus- 
ed, but all in vain. I believe I should 
have left my master, but I thought it 
would be unjust to leave him in such a 
busy time, when he had kept me employ- 
ed all that hard winter. However, it made 
me cry to the Lord to go with me, and 
protect me from both my inward and out- 
ward enemies And he was gracious to 
me, enabling me to reprove all that sinned 
in my presence; so that a young gentle- 
man said to some of the men, f* Of what 
religion is your foreman ? Is he a Baptist, 
or is he a Quaker ? ? They replied. <f No 
Sir, he is of the church of England." He 
said, " he may tell you so ; but he is no 
churchman; for you can hardly speak at 
table, but he is reproving us ; and if he 
says but one word, we cannot persuade him 
to drink a glass more." I overheard him, 
though he did not see me : and said, si Sir, 
you give a bad character of the church of 
England, if you say, a man cannot be a 
churchman, that reproves others for curs- 
ing and swearing, and refuses to drink to 
excess " 

One day the Speaker of the House of 
Commons, came to visit my Lord ; and 
taking a view of the work, he asked me 
many questions about it, which I answer- 
ed as well as I could. He said, <e This is 
a fine house, and a fine estate of land 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



3J 



about it ! But what will it signify ? For a 
piece of land, six feet long and three 
broad, will fit me shortly/' He then 
fetched a deep sigh, went away, and walk- 
ed alone among the trees. 

While I was at Guildford I had several 
conversations with some Baptists. But 
alas ! their religion lay in notions ; I found 
no true experience amongst them. I rea- 
soned with them about the necessity of the 
New Birth ; and contended with many 
other sects, that all religion, without the 
life of Christ manifested in us, would pro- 
fit us nothing at last. 

I heard that , some who were called se- 
rious people, said that I was a dangerous 
man to converse with ; and others shunned 
my company after I had talked with them. 
Then I thought, I would leave off reprov- 
ing and reasoning, for I made myself to 
be abhorred, I cried out, " Lord, shew 
me what is thy Will in this matter/' then 
laid me down in great heaviness. That 
night I dreamt, I saw a tali young person 
in a white vesture, whose face shone like 
the sun, standing at the foot of my bed, 
who said unto me, " Arise, and praise the 
Lord/' I thought a great light shone 
round my bed, by which I saw myself de- 
filed from the top of my head to the sole 
of my foot ; and answered, cf How can 
such ail unclean creature shew forth the 
praises of God-/' Then I thought he 



36 THE JOURNAL OF 

shewed me a river, as clear as crystal, 
with fine green grass growing at the bot- 
tom thereof, in which he bade me wash 
and be clean. I thought I went at his bid- 
bing : and as soon as my feet were dipped 
in the water, the filth dropped from my 
whole body ; nevertheless the water was 
not* defiled by it, at which I was surprised. 
When I came to the middle of the river, 
it was deeper than I was high, and I 
knew I could not swim ; yet my soul was 
so filled with the sense of God s love, that 
my head was kept above water. I then 
thought I spread my hands, like a man 
who is going to swim, and as I laboured to 
swim, i rose out of the water, and was 
carried as on the wings of an eagle above 
the clouds, and cried, " Hosanna to the 
king of heaven And though asleep, I 
sung so loud, that I awaked the people of 
the house. I now resolved to reprove a- 
gain, and seemed to do it with more au* 
thority than before, and my words began 
to stick to some, and cause them to re- 
form their lives. 

About Michaelmas! came back to Lon- 
don ; and several that used to attend Mr. 
Wesley's preaching at Kennington-Com- 
mon and Moorfields, who had also joined 
with him in the foundery, came to see 
me ; at which I was surprised, having no 
correspondence with them any farther than 
speaking one to another, as we went from 



MR. JOHN KELSON* 



37 



place to place to hear him preach. At 
their first coming, I thought it was the 
thing I longed for ; often wishing that I 
had some christian friends to converse 
with. They said they heard I was come 
to town, and the love they bore me, made 
them come to see me. 1 answered, *■* I 
thank you 5 pray how does my good friend 
Mr. Wesley do ?' They replied, " We 
do not know ; poor dear man, he is wan- 
dering in the dark ; but we hope our Sa- 
viour will open his eyes, and let him see 
that he is a blind leader of the blind." 
Their words were as a sword running 
through my liver ; and made me cry out, 
Lord, have mercy upon him ! What is 
the matter with him ?" They answered, 
" Poor dear man, he is und^r the law, 
and does not know the privilege ofthe 
gospel himself ; therefore he preaches law 
and works. " I said," Then he is strange- 
ly altered since I left London ; for when I 
was in town, he preached repentance to- 
wards God, and the faith in our Lord Je- 
sus : teaching the necessity of both as 
clearly from scripture, as any man in 
England could, and shewing the fruits of 
faith as plain as possible for any man to 
da ; and I found his word to be more bles- 
sed to me, than any man's I ever heard in 
my life." They told me that <s 1 had ne- 
ver heard the gospel in my life, except [ 
had heard the brethren that preached in 



38 



THE JOURNAL OF 



Fetter-Lane ; for they were the men that 
were to come to lead them into true still- 
ness. " I said, 44 What do you mean by 
true stillness ?" They replied, " It is to 
cease from our own works, such as fast- 
ing and prayer, reading the bible, and 
running to church and sacrament ; and 
wholly to rely on the blood and wounds of 
the Lamb." I said, " I do not know that 
I ever heard either of the Mr. Wesley s 
bid any man trust in prayer, or reading, or 
going to sacrament, or giving of alms, for 
salvation, either in whole or in part." But 
they answered, 44 Why doth he teach men 
to do those things, if they are not to be sa- 
ved by them J" I replied, 44 If I under- 
stand Mr, Wesley right, he only speaks 
of them as Christ and his apostles spake 
of them, that is, to wait in them as a beg- 
gar waits for a morsel at a man s door. I 
never spoke to Mr. W esley in my life ; 
therefore, know not what he believes, 
any farther than by his preaching. 5 — 
They told me, that most of the people, who 
had followed him before I left London, 
had forsaken him, and were become happy 
sinners now ; and wished I would go and 
hear the brethren, for Mr. Wesley was 
only a John Baptist to go before and pre- 
pare them for the brethren to build up : 
Adding, " If you go to hear him, he wilt 
bring you into bondage ; and you will ne- 
ver be happy till you are free from the- 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



39 



law ; for we were never happy till we left 
him, and went to hear Mr. Molther ; and 
till then, we were under the law/'' I re- 
plied, t( Pray, were you not converted 
before you left Mr. Wesley V 9 They an- 
swered, iS Yes, we had gone through a 
great deal of trouble, and found great 
peace and joy, knowing our sins were for- 
given 5 But when we heard Mr. Molther, 
we found we were yet under the law : 
For he shewed the privilege of the gospel, 
and we found we had not such a privi- 
lege ; for if we broke the law in any lit- 
tle matter we were quite unhappy ; or if 
we neglected to pray, or missed a sermon 
or two, then we were uneasy ; but now 
we are happy, for the Lamb hath done all 
for us/' I said, " Though he hath done 
his part, yet the apostle teaches us to 
work out our salvation, with fear and 
trembling; and we are to pray always, and 
search the scriptures. And St. Paul fast- 
ed often, and kept his body in subjection, 
lest, when he had preached to others, 
himself should be a cast- away : But you 
are become wiser than the apostle, and 
have got another gospel. Though he said, 
if he or an angel from heaven shouid preach 
another gospel, let him be accursed. I 
am afraid you are deceived, and are 
seeking a happiness that is separated from 
holiness ; if so, you are led by a deceiv- 
ing spirit; for if you commit, and break 



40 



The jclrnal of 



the righteous law of God, and still conti- 
nue happy, without any conviction that 
God is so offended with you, your consci- 
ences are seared as with a hot iron.'' They 
answered, " You are a poor unhappy man, 
and as blind as Mr. Wesley/ 3 and so left 
me without either praying with me or 
for me. 

When I came to reason about what they 
had said, and to compare it with the 
words of our Lord and his apostles, I saw 
their scheme of salvation was as contrary 
to that of Christ, as darkness is to light. 
This drove me to prayer, and made me 
double my diligence in reading the bible. 

In a few days after, two more that were 
a little acquainted with me, came to see 
me : I asked them, " How Mr. Wesley 
was ? ' <s They said, they did not know, 
for they did not hear him now." I ask- 
ed, (t Why do you not V 1 They replied, 
* f He denieth the faith of the gospel." I 
said, " I am sorry for it ; but 1 hope you 
are only wrong informed." Theyanswer- 
ed, f< We have heard ourselves." I repli- 
ed, " What do you call the faith of the 
gospel ?'' They said, " Predestination and 
election. ' I told them, I thought that was 
not the faith of the gospel ; but it was ra- 
ther for every one to believe in his heart, 
that he is a fallen spirit by nature, a child 
©f wrath, and by practice an heir of hell ; 
and that (he eternal son of God, out of love 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



41 



I to ine, a poor helpless and hell-deserving 
I creature, laid his glory by, and for my 
I sake, fulfilled all righteousness, at last 
giving his body for my body, and his soul 
lor my soul ; and that God, for the sake of 
I his obedience and blood shedding, hath 
forgiven all my sins. I said, i( According 
j to the light I have, this is the faith of the 
I gospel ; and he that is partaker of this 
faith, hath received the spirit of power, of 
love, and of a sound mind ; power to deny 
ungodliness and worldly I usts, and to live 
a godly, righteous, and sober life.'' I add* 
ed, (S Pray, under whom were you con- 
verted ?" They both replied, se under Mr. 
Charles Wesley." iS Did he then preach 
what you now call the gospel ?" They re- 
plied, " No.** (< Did God reveal that to 
you to be the faith of the gospel, as sooti 
as he wrote pardon on your hearts ¥*■ 
They said, No : when we were in our 
first love, we believed as Mr. Wesley be- 
lieves ; but now we see better, and hope 
his eyes will be opened shortly/' I said, 
'* I fear yours are become dim : for I think 
you are more light and un watchful than 
you used to be ; and you own you have 
lost your first love. O remember, Christ 
bids you repent and do your first works, 
oi' he will remove your candlestick." But 
they told me, " Do what we will, we can- 
not finally fall. " I answered, That as 
far as I could learn by their words and be- 
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haviour, they were already fallen : And 
I wished they did not make a Christ of 
their opinions: for though I allow many 
good men hold these opinions, yet I judge, 
all that were converted under the two 
Mr. Wesleys, were at first filled with love 
to every man, and a perfect hatred to all 
sin, and were inspired with a zeal for 
God's glory, and the welfare of all man- 
kind, f Were you not in this state once ?'* 
They owned they were, till they heard Mr. 
Sawyers ; and it was by him they saw in- 
to the electing love of God. " 1 replied, 
" I fear you have sinned aginst light and 
love ; and instead of g«ing back to the 
Lord, by true repentance, and seeking a 
fresh pardon in the blood of Christ, you 
have been gadding about to seek new opi- 
nions : you have gone out of the highway 
of holiness, and have now got into the de- 
vil's pinfold. You are not seeking to per- 
fect holiness in the fear of God, but are 
resiing in opinions, that give you liberty 
to live after the flesh : And if you conti- 
nue so to live, you are safe in this hold, 
out of which you will be brought to the 
slaughter/' They told me I was as stu- 
pid as Mr. Wesley, I replied, " Satan 
had preached that doctrine to me before 
they did ; and God had armed me against 
both him and them." Then they left me 
in my blind estate as they called it. And 
1 prayed, that I might never turn nut of 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



43 



the way that God had called me into. — 
On Sunday I had the opportunity of hear- 
ing Mr. John Wesley once morp ; and his 
word was precious food to my soul. Then 
I blessed the Lord that still had kept his 
servant as an iron pillar, in the same spi- 
rit in which I left him ; but I observed a 
great part of the congregation were stran- 
gers to me, for many of the old hearers were 
gone, and others come in. When I found 
that some had turned to the Germans, and 
some to the Predestinarians, I said " O 
Lord I will praise thee, for thou dost 
all things well. Thou, by thy providence 
didst send me out of town, when the ene- 
my was rending thy flock to pieces, and 
thereby thy servant hath escaped the 
snare." 

A few weeks, after I was at St. Paul's, 
where Mr. John Wesley also was. And 
I contrived to walk with him after sacra- 
ment ; for I often wished I could speak 
with him, therefore I seized this oppor 4 
tunity. So we continued in discourse 
all the way from St, Paul's to the farther 
end of Upper Moorfields ; and it was a 
blessed conference to me, When we part- 
ed, he took hold of my hand and looking 
me full in the face, bid me take care I did 
not quench the spirit. I had not such an 
-opportunity again while I stayed in Lon- 
don either with him or his brother ; but I 
kept close to God by fasting, and prayer ; 



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and the Lord helped me through many 
trials. 

One night after I had been delivered 
from grievous temptations, my soul was 
filled with such a sense of God's love as 
made me weep before him. In the night 
I dreamed i was in Yorkshire, going from 
Gomersal-Hill-Top to Cleck-Heaton ; and 
about the middle of the lane, I thought i 
saw Satan coming to meet me in the shape 
ofa tall black man, and the hair of his 
head like snakes. But I thought I was not 
afraid at all ; and I said, '? Stand by me 
OLord and I will not turn to the right 
hand, ik) r to the left." Yet I thought I 
would not stand to fight with him as I 
used to do. When he ume within about 
five paces of me he stood. But I went 
on, riptopen my clothes, and shewed him 
my naked breast, saying, (( See, here is 
the blood of Christ." Then I thought he 
fled from me as fast as a hare could run. 

I was still attacked by the Moravians on 
one side, and the Predestinarians on the 
other. But the Lord enabled me to stop 
their mouths and to shew them that they 
had lost their first love. Yet they seemed 
to be hardened and past all conviction. 
And the more I read the scriptures, the 
more I was confirmed that they were fal- 
len into carnal security. Which made 
me pray more earnestly , that God would 
preserve mc from all the snares of the de- 
vil. 



MR. JOHN NELSON, 



45 



About ten days before Christmas I went 
to St- Paul's, and while 1 was at the com- 
munion table, 1 felt such an awful sense 
of God rest upon me, that my heart was 
like melting wax before him ; and all my 
prayer was, fS Thy will be done : Thy 
will be done \" I was so dissolved into 
tears of love, that I could scarce take the 
bread ; and after I had received, it was 
impressed on my mind, S( I must go into 
Yorkshire, directly'* Butlsaid in myself, 
* f If I do, it will be ten pounds out of my 
way/' I had determined to go at May- 
day ; but I thought, to stay for the sake 
of money would be wrong, when I believ- 
ed it was the will of God 1 should go. So I 
packed up my clothes and set out. I found 
much of the Lord's presence all the way I 
went ; but 1 had no more thought of preach- 
ing than I had of eating fire. 

When I got home, I was greatly disap- 
pointed ; for I expected to find many of 
my relations converted, as I understood 
they attended Mr. Ingham's preaching. 
But when [ explained to them what it was 
to be converted, they said they never 
Beard of such a thing in their lives. I 
told them, I knew those things by happy 
experience. But they begged, I would 
not tell any one that my sins were forgiv- 
en ; fcrr no one would believe me ; and 
they should be ashamed to shew their faces 
in the street. I answered, iS I shall not 



46 



THE JOURNAL OF 



be ashamed to tell what God has done for 
my soul, if i could speak loud enough 
for all the men in the world to hear me 
at once." My mother said, tf Your head 
is turned/ 1 I replied, " Yes, and my 
heart too, I thank the Lord-" My wife 
told me, she was ashamed to put her head 
out of doors, for every one was talking 
about me, and upbraiding her with my 
sayings ; and she wished 1 had stayed in 
London ; for she could not live with me 
if I went on as I did ; for which reason, 
she desired, that I would leave off abus- 
ing my neighbours, or go back to London. 
I answered, I did not care what all the 
people could say ■ for I was determined 
to reprove any one that sinned in my pre- 
sence. Then she cried, and said, I did 
not love her so well as I used to do. I re- 
plied, " Yes, I love thee better than ever 
I did in my life, and thou hast no reason 
to dispute my love ; for I have been care- 
ful to provide for thee, whether I was at 
home or abroad ; and we have been hap- 
py in each other upwards of twelve years ; 
but if thou wilt seek for redemption in 
the blood of Christ, we shall be ten times 
happier than ever." She then said, " Nay, 
my happiness with thee is over; for ac- 
cording to thy words, I am a child of 
the devil, and thou a child of God," Then 
she wept, and said, " I cannot live with 
thee." I said, " Why so ? Thou shalt ne- 



MR. JOHN NELSON.. 



47 



ver want while I am able, by honest en- 
deavours, to provide for thee. Nay, (I 
continued) if thou wilt not go to heaven 
with me, I will do the best I can for thee ; 
only I will not go to hell with thee for 
company. But 1 believe, God will hear 
my prayer, and convert thy soul, and 
make thee a blessed companion for me in 
the way to heaven/' After this, my wife 
began to be concerned about the salvation 
of her soul. 

A few days after I got home, David 
Taylor came to preach in our town, in " 
Mr. Ingham's society, when I went to 
hear him : and a dry morsel his sermon 
was. — Several that were acquainted with 
him followed me, and wanted to know 
how I liked the discourse. I was back- 
ward to tell them, but they pressed hard 
on me, and said, " Do you not think he 
is as good a preacher as Mr. Wesley ?" 
I said, " There is no comparison between 
his preaching and Mr. Wesley's: He has 
not stayed long enough in the large room 
at Jerusalem After they had been gone 
some time, they came again to ask what I 
meant? I said, fi He is not endued with 
power from on high/' 5 They went and 
related to him what 1 said ; and he told 
me since, that if 1 had been present, he 
could have stabbed me ; yet he could not 
rest till he went to hear Mr, Wesley at 
London. Then he found what I said was 



48 



She journal o# 



true ; and he came down to Sheffield, and 
into Derbyshire, preaching* what he call- 
ed, Wesley's doctrine, and awakened 
and converted many scores of people, till 
the Germans got to him, and made him 
deny the law of God ; Then he became 
again as salt without savour. 

I went afterwards to a meeting of Mr. 
Ingham's, where one read in an old book 
for near an hour : then sung a hymn, and 
read a form of prayer. I told them, that 
way would never convert sinners; and 
began to relate some of my experience ; 
and several -were struck with convictions 
while I w r as speaking : Some of whom be- 
came witnesses of the same grace, that 
God shewed me. 

In a little time> all I said was noised 
abroad $ and people of all denominations 
icame to dispute with me. As soon as I 
oame home from work, my house was fill- 
ed with people, which made my wife un- 
easy ; for she could do no work, and did 
not yet believe what I said was true. 
Generally when I came in and sat down, 
some one would ask me a question, and 
others would begin to dispute with me, 
while others stood to hear. 

When any began to cavil, I commonly 
asked, " What church do you belong to ?'* 
And if they said, the Church of England, 
then I replied, " Do you know your sins 
forgiven?" Several said, No, nor never 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



49 



expect to know it in this world." Then 
I replied, cf You are no members of the 
Church of England, if you have not a full 
trust and confidence, that God for Christ's 
sake hath forgiven you. Read the Homi- 
lies of the Church, and you will see what 
I say is true." I used to have the bible 
and Common Prayer-Book by me ; and I 
shewed them the Articles of the Church* 
saying, " You r deny inspiration ; and the 
Church you profess to belong to, says, 
Before the grace of Christ, and the in- 

i spiration of his Spirit, no good works can 
be done " So if the Church speaks right, 
you must be inspired by the Spirit of 
Christ to enable you to bring forth good 

I fruit, or you must be the fuel of hell. 
And how dare you to pray to have your 
thoughts cleansed by the inspiration of 
Cod's Holy Spirit, if you do not believe 
there is any such thing to be attained in 
this world ? O ! do not mock God any 
more, by asking for things with your 
mouth, when you do not believe in your 
hearts he will grant them." But one said, 
4t I have been with a very learned Clergy- 
man of a neighbouring church, and he 
told me, there was no such thing to be 
attained in this life/' I answered, " I 
think you have mistaken him, for I was 
at that church last Sunday, and heard 
him declare all I have said to you." He 
said, « I was there, and heard no such 
E 



50 



THE JOURNAL OF 



thing mentioned " I repl ; ed, " r No I didt 
you not hear him affirm f That God had 
given power and commandment to his mi- 
nisters, to declare and pronounce to his 
people, being penitent, the absolution of 
their sins ? And he farther declared, 
that Go;! pardoneth and absolveth ail those 
that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe 
his gospel.' Therefore, it is plain, you 
never did repent, or unfeignedly believe 
his gospel, if God has not pardoned and 
absolved you from your sins. Else both 
he and all that are in Priest's orders ia 
England, are false witnesses before God 
and man. And how many times have you 
besought God to give you true repentance ^ 
and to forgive you all your sins, negligen- 
ces, and ignorances : and to endue you 
with the grace of his Holy Spirit, that 
you might amend your ways according to 
his holy word ? And now you say there 
is no such thing ! though you may remem- 
ber Mr. R. said, " Let us beseech God to 
grant us true repentance, and his Holy 
Spirit, that those things may please him, 
which we do at this present ; and that 
the rest of our lives may be pure and 
holy." 

By these discourses, many were prick- 
ed to the heart, and durst not ofter the 
sacrifice of fools any more ; but prayed 
in good earnest for God to pardon their 
sins, and to answer thera ia the m o: 
their hearts. 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



' 5 J 



I WJien nnv ^aid, they - Tf ere of the 
I Church of Scotland j I asked them, if 
! -they did not know their sins forgiven ? 
I They told me, that they did not ; nay, 
farther, they thought it presumption for 
i any one to pretend to know it, or to ex- 
i pect aench high attainments as I spoke of; 
i and tb.ty told me I was a Papist, or I 
! would not talk as I di;i. I answered, 
4( I kfiow not what you think of me ; but 
I think, you neither know what a Papist 
or Presbyterian is ; for your own mouths 
declare, that you are no members of the 
Church of Scotland. That Church dis- 
owns you ; for none are allowed members 
thereof, but those that are effectually call- 
ed. And they that are effectually called, 
do in this life partake of Justification, 
Adoption, and Sanctification And the 
same Church saith, that Justification is 
an act of God s free grace, wherein he 
pardoneth all our sins ; Adoption is an 
act of God's free grace, by which we are 
received into the number, have a right 
to all the privileges of God's sons ; and 
that Sanctification is the work of God's 
free grace, whereby we are renewed in 
the inner man, after the whole image of 
God ; arid all that are so effectually call- 
ed, do enjoy an assurance of God's love, 
peace of conscience, and joy in the Ho- 
ly Ghost. And I pray you, what have 
1 said more ? By your talking, you are 



52 



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the sons of Rome, and enemies to the 
true Protestant Religion. Let me beg 
you to go home, and read the Assem- 
bly's Catechism, and come and talk with 
me again, after you have read it." Se- 
veral of them did so ; and came with 
tears in their eyes ; and are now wit- 
nesses, that God had power on earth to 
forgive sins. 

1 found it always in my mind not to 
Jet any depart that came to dispute with 
me, till we had prayed together. The first 
that was brought to experience the re- 
deeming love of Christ, was my own 
brother ; and in a few days six of my 
neighbours. 

My wife also was thoroughly convinced 
that she must experience the same work 
of grace, or perish. During the time of 
her convictions she was seized with a 
pleurisy, and her case was thought to be 
very dangerous : then I besought the Lord 
for her with fasting and prayer. The 
next day she was worse ; and the distress 
pf her soul increased the disorder of her 
body, so that she seemed as if sjie could 
not subsist long. That night my house 
was filled with people, and none of them 
offered to dispute with me. I read seve- 
ral portions of Scripture to them, some 
out of the Old, some out of the New Tes- 
tament, and compared one with another, 
and prayed with them. As! was inprayer. 



MB. JOHN NELSON. 



my wife "being in the parlour, and with- 
in hearing, fainted, and was as if she had 
just sunk into the gulf of God's judgments : 
immediately she thought she felt the Lord 
Jssus catch her as she was falling, and lay 
his hand on her side, where the disorder 
was, anu bade her be of good comfort ; tell- 
ing her, Thy sins are forgiven. When I 
came to the bed- side, she was just come to 
herself, and said, " My dear, the Lord has 
healed me both in body and soul ! I will 
get up and praise his holy name which 
she accordingly did. From that hour her 
fever ceased, and her heart was filled 
with peace and- love. 

Now God had raised up eight witnesses 
to himself in this place : and the enemies 
began to report, that I had forgiven such 
and such their sins, which made many 
come and talk with me. 

One night I went to Aclwalton, to hear 
Mr. Ingham preach. As soon as I got 
into the house, he called we into the par- 
lour, and desired the company that was 
with him, to go out, for he; had something 
to say to me. When thep went out, he 
rose up, barred the door, then sat down 
by me, and asked me, hovt my wife did? 
When I had told him, he said, (i Do you 
know your own heart, thiik you I an- 
swered, " Not rightly : bit I know Jesus 
Christ; and he knows aid hath taken 
possession of it : and thou ;h it ho deceit- 
E % J 



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ful, yet he can subdue it to himself ; and 
I trust he will." He said, " Have you 
not deceived yourself with thinking that 
your sins are forgiven, and that you are 
in a state of grace ? I was three years 
seeking before I found him." I replied, 
*' Suppose you were, do you confine God 
to be three years in converting every 
soul, because you were so long ? God is 
as able to convert a soul in three days 
now, as he was to convert St. Paul 1700 
years ago/' — I then began to tell him 
what I had seen at London under Mr. 
Wesley's preaching. He said, he pitied 
poor Mr. Wesley ; for he was ignorant of 
his own state ; and he spoke as if he be- 
lieved Mr. Wesley to be an unconverted 
man ; at which words my corrupt nature 
began to stir. But it came to my mind, 
" The wrath of man worketh not the 
righteousness of God " and I lifted up 
my heart to the Lord, and my mind was 
calm in a morrent. He said, " You ought 
not to tell people, that they may know 
their sins for^ ven ; for the world cannot 
bear it ; and l such a thing was preach- 
ed, it would raise persecution." I re- 
plied, " Let ihem quake that fear. By 
the grace of God I love everv man, but 
fear no man: and I will tell all lean, 
that there is juch a prize to run for. If 
I hide it, miichief will come upon me. 
There is a fanine in the land, and I see 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



myself in the case of the lepers that were 
at the gate of Samaria, who found provi- 
sion in the enemy's camp : and when they 
had eat and drank, and loaded them- 
selves, said, " We do not well ; for this 
is a day of glad tidings, let us go and 
'make it known to the King's household ; 
When I found God's wrath removed for 
the sake of his dear Son, I saw provision 
enough for my poor fainting soul, and for 
all the world, if they would come for it. 
I belie re it is a sin not to declare to the 
children of men what God has done for 
my soul, that they may seek for the same 
mercy." He told me, I had nothing to do 
with the Old Testament, or to make com- 
parisons from any thing that was in it. 
I answered, cs l have as much to do with 
it as with the New Testament." He re- 
plied, <f I would not have you speak any 
more to the people, till you are better 
acquainted with your own heart." I told 
him, t would not in his Societies, unless 
I was desired ; but what I did in my own 
house, or in any other person's, thai re* 
uested me, he hath no business with, 
added, iS I do not belong to you ; and 
though I have heard you several times,, 
it is no benefit to me ; for I have experi- 
enced more of the grace of God than ever 
I heard you preach of yet, or any one 
since I left London." 



50 



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Soon after Mr. Ingham came out and 
begun to preach ; when I was greatly sur- 
prised, for what he had forbidden me to 
do, he did directly : he told them that 
night, they must know their sins forgiven 
in this world, or go to hell, if all the de- 
vils in hell could pull them in. 

I still went on at my own house as be- 
fore every night ; and in about three 
we:;ks my eight were increased to seven- 
teen. 

As I was explaining Rom. vii. my mo- 
ther fell into deep convictions, and cried, 
f I am a lost sinner/' 1 went to prayer 
with her ; and she neither a#e pleasant 
bread, nor took natural rest, till she found 
redemption through the blood of Christ. 
Then she came to me with tears of joy, 
and said, " Thank God on my behalf, for 
he hath dealt bountifully with me. When 
thou wast a lad, F had more trouble with 
thee than any other child ; but God has 
more than rewarded me for all my trou- 
ble, in that he has raised thee up to 
shew me-the way of salvation." She liv- 
ed about six months after, and then died 
in the triumph of faith. She was the first 
ripe fruit that God gave me of my la- 
bour. 

Soon after, another of my brothers, my 
aunt, and two cousins, were converted \ 
though still i did not attempt to preach, 
but read some part of the Scripture, then 



MR. JOHN NELSON* 



51 



exhorted them to observe what they had 
heard ; and so ended with prayer. And 
God wrought in a wonderful manner ; for 
six or seven were converted in a week for 
several weeks together. AH this time I 
had no one to converse with, except such 
as wanted to turn me out of the narrow 
path ; neither had I any correspondence 
with Mr. Wesley ; but still I was as one 
set to labour in afield alone. 

After some time Peter Bohler came in- 
to Yorkshire, and laboured while Mr* Ing- 
ham went to London. I heard him, and 
he pleased me well ; for at that time he 
spake to the purpose. When he had done 
I went and took him by the hand, and 
thanked him for his wholesome exhorta- 
tion. He asked me my name ? I told him. 
He saluted me, and said, * My brother, I 
am glad to see you ; for I have just now 
been talking with some, that told me they 
were converted by you ; and I like them 
better than any souls I have conversed 
with since I came into Yorkshire.' And 
he added, 6 I will call to see you when I 
come to Birstal ' So he did, and stayed 
with me all night, and encouraged me to 
speak on and spare none. He added, ' The 
Lord hath called you to labour in his vine- 
yard; and if you do not labour he will call 
you to judgment for it.' I told him that 
Mr. Ingham had forbidden me \ but he 
said, <He will be back from London in 



£8 



the journal of 



three weeks, then I will speak to him ; for 
I know that God is with you ; and I will 
o all on you whenever I come through thi 
town/ So he did at that season ; and hi 
conversation was profitable to me, for he 
then spoke as contrary to the Moravian 
who are in London, as black is to white. 
God blessed his word, for many were awa 
kened by him at his first coming into York- 
shire. 

When Mr. Ingham returned from Lon- 
don, he came to brother Mitchell's in our 
town, and sent for me. He saluted me as 
soon as I came in, and desired me to sit 
down by him, and said, 6 John, I believe 
God has called you to speak his word ; for 
I have spoken with several since I came 
back from London who I believe have re- 
ceived grace since I went ; and I see God 
is working in a shorter manner than he did 
with us at the beginning ; and I should be 
sorry to hinder any one from doing good/ 
He said also to the brethren and sisters, 
' Before you all, I give John leave to ex- 
hort in all my Societies/ He then took me 
by the hand saying, ' John, God hath given 
you great honour, in that he hath made use 
of you to call sinners to the blood of our 
Saviour ; and I desire you to exhort in all 
my Societies as often as you can/ 

I did so ; and many were struck to the 
heart, and were made to cry out, ' Lord 
gave or we perish I s So that nine or ten 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



59 



] in a week were brought to experience the 
love of Jesus. Those that were of the 
Church of England, I exhorted to keep 
i close to the Church and Sacrament ; and 
I the Dissenters, to keep to their own meet- 
ings, and to let their light shine before 
those of their own community. But soon 
after I learnt, that Mr. Ingham advised 
the contrary, and several began to stay at 
home on the Sabbath, which made me very 
; uneasy. 

One night I had been disputing with se- 
veral of thern about their neglecting the or- 

I dinances, and about their speaking against 
inward holiness, as we were going to hear 
Peter Bohler at Charles Summerscales 
When he got up, he took two verses of the 
tenth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel ; 
* Whosoever shall confess me before men, 
him will I confess before my Father which 
is in heaven : but whosoever shall deny 
me before men, him also will I deny be- 

ifore my Father which is in heaven/ I 
thought if he had heard all that I had said, 
and had laboured to justify every word I 
bad spoken, he could not have preached 
more to the purpose for he said, to con- 

; fess Jesus was to live te him, and to hon- 

; our him with body, soul, and substance ; 
and to deny him was to live to ourselves, 
by refusing to do what he commanded, be- 
cause it was not agreeable to nature, and 
•lid not make for our temporal interest.— 



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He added, ' If any one did so much as to 
keep the tip of his little finger, to commit 
sin with, it would damn both his body and 
soul in hell/ 

My adversaries now hung down their 
heads ; and complaint was made to Mr. 
Telchig, that Mr, Bohler preached Wes- 
ley's doctrine, and he was sent to London 
soon after. He came back in three weeks 
time ; but such a change for the worse did 
I never see in mortal man ! for he that pro- 
fessed to love me as his own soul, durst 
not come near the door of my house, nor 
converse with me at all : And his word 
w 7 as as chaff in comparison of what it used 
to be. 

Th^n I saw what was coming on me, an 
the people God had given me. This mad 
me weep in secret places before the Lord 
and 1 desired to die, rather than live t 
see the children devoured by these boar 
out of the German wood. I saw many de 
luded by their ra soft words and fair speech 
es ; for I was begetting children, and the 
slew them among the smooth stones of th 
brook ; and they had better never hav 
known the way of salvation, than afte 
knowing it, be turned thereout. But S 
niuel Mitchel urged me to speak, and not 
to spare. Yet I found great backward- 
ness ; and often said, when I went out of 
my door, * Lord, thou knowest I had ra- 
ther be hanged on that tree than go to 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



61 



preach, but that I believe thou dost require 
it at my hand.' And many a time I have 
„said, ' except some one be converted this 
time, I will take it for granted, that I may 
leave offspeaking in thy name i But O the 
condescension of the Most High ! For he 
so far bore with my weakness, that some 
were converted as sure as I asked the to- 
ken. For all that, I acted the part of Jo- 
nah, and fled into the fields by a wood side, 
when a great congregation was gathered 
together, and begged me to preach to them. 
But the hand of the Lord was upon me : 
and I fell flat on my face on the ground ; 
and thought that if ever a living man tast- 
ed the cup of the damned, I did : I then 
cried out, " Let me die ! let me die ! for 
why should 1 live to see the destruction of 
my people? Or wherefore should I ever 
speak in thy Name, and by thy Word be- 
get children for the slaughter ?" I lay a- 
bout an hour with my face on the grass : 
But O the anguish my soul was in • The 
sufferings of our Lord were brought to 
my mind, and his Apostles, whose cup I 
had once desired at the Lord's hand. But 
iio w, when it was in a small degree put 
in my hand, I chose rather to die than to 
drink it. 

I now began to be ashamed before the 
Lord, when I considered how wonderful- 
ly he had dealt with me ; so that the tears 
began to flow, and my heart was broken 
F 



02 



THE JOURNAL OP 



within me. Then I said, " I am not mj 
own, but thine; therefore, thy will be 
do*ne in me, on me, and by me/* In that 
instant the cloud broke, and the Sun of 
Righteousness arose on my soul : So that 
I cried out, "Lord, continue with me, 
as thou art now, and I am ready to go to 
hell to preach to devils, if thou requirest 
it." Then I came home, expecting the 
people to be gone ; but they were waiting 
about the door of my house. I got up 
and preached to them, and that night two 
men declared that God for Christ's sake 
had forgiven all their sins. 

I thought, after I had done, if I had had 
ten pounds, I would have given it for one 
hour's conversation with Mr. John Wes- 
ley ; but I despaired of ever having an op- 
portunity, except I went to London on 
purpose ; and said, I am not worthy of 
an upright man to converse with : There- 
fore, I am encompassed about with briars 
- and thorns. 

After some time, I was told, that there 
were twenty preachers come to the Smith- 
House ; and that four or five of them were 
clergymen who had been with Mr. Wes- 
ley ; but they were now convinced of his 
errors, and content to be poor sinners ; 
and hoped I should see my error in a lit- 
tle time, and come to the Brethren ; for 
all of them, they said, had been as blind 
as I was, and as much bigotted to Mr 



M-R. JOHN NELSON. 



63 



Wesley's notions. I told them, that what 
they called Light, I believed to be gross 
darkness; for it did not agree with what 
the Scriptures shewed to be the v/ay to 
heaven. One of their exhorters said to 
nie, that there were several of the Mora- 
vian preachers that could write as good 
Scriptures as the Bible ; that the very 
power which the Apostles had, did rest on 
the Moravian preachers. I told him, 1 did 
not believe a word of it; I believed them 
to be a fallen people ; and 1 prayed God 
that they might repent, and do their first 
works. I said, " 1 am sorry for Mr. Ing- 
ham, for he never will do half so much 
good as he has done hurt, by bringing them 
into this country, for they do not labour 
to convert sinners, but to turn saints out 
of the way that leads to heaven." But he 
said, it was I that was wrong, for they 
were the most experienced men in the 
world. And it was believed by many, 
that Count Zinzendorf was so familiar 
with the Lamb, that many hundreds who 
were now in hell, would be saved by his 
prayers. 

A few days after, they were to have a 
great meeting at Gomersal Field -House ; 
and one came and told me, that Mr. Ing- 
ham desired me to be there. According- 
ly I went, but could not get into the 
house, where they were reading the let- 
ters, nor near the door, for the multitude ; 



64 



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so I walked into the croft, where there 
were about two hundred people, who had 
gone from the door, because they could 
not hear ; so I preached to them in the 
croft, while they read the letters within. 
I think there were five or six preachers, 
and four exhorters, and near a hundred 
people, who were looked upon as the chief 
of their Societies. Then Mr. Ingham 
stood up, and said, that the country peo- 
ple were surprised to see so many of the 
Brethren come together; they thought it 
prudent not to have so much preaching, 
till they were settled awhile, for fear it 
should make them persecute the Brethren 
" And I desire that none of the young 
men will expound, till they are ordered 
by the Brethren : We shall meet again 
this day month ; and then we will let you 
know, what we are all to do/' Then he 
spake to them one by one, and said, " I 
hope you will be obedient, and not ex- 
pound any more, till you have orders/' 
They all replied, " Yes Sir." He then 
turned to me ; saying, " John, I hope you 
w ill leave off, till you have orders from 
the church." I said, " No, Sir, I will 
not leave off, I dare not ; for I did not be- 
gin by the ord^er of man, nor by my own 
will ; therefore, I shall not leave off by 
your order ; for I tell you plainly I should 
have left off without your bidding, but 
that I believed if I did, I should be damn- 



MR JOHN NELSON. ,05 

ed for disobedience." He replied, " You 
see these young men are obedient to the 
elders ; and they ha\e been blessed in 
their labours as well as you." I said, " I 
cannot tell how they have been blessed ; 
but I think, if God had sent them on his 
own errand, they would not stop at your 
bidding." Then one of the preachers said, 
" The spirit of the prophets is subject to 
the prophets •, therefore they are right, 
and you are wrong ; for they are subject." 
I replied, " You are not obedient to the 
prophets of God that were of old ; for God 
saith by one of them, * I have set watch- 
men upon the walls of Jerusalem, that 
shall not cease day or night But you can 
hold your peace for a month together, at 
man's bidding/' Then turning to Mr. 
Ingham, I said, " You know that many 
have been converted by my exhorting 
lately, and a great many are under con- 
victions ; what a sad thing then would it 
be, to leave them as they are V s He re- 
plied, " Our Saviour can convert souls 
without your preaching." I replied, 
f* Yes, or your's either : and he can give 
us corn without plowing and sowing, but 
he does not, neither has he promised that 
he will." He said, Be still one month, 
and then you will know more of your own 
heart.'' I replied, " With one proviso, I 
wil^" He said, h What is that ? * I an- 
swered, "If vou can persuade the devil 
F2_ 



66 



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to be still for a month ; but if he goes 
about like a roaring lion seeking whom 
he may devour, and God hath put a sword 
into my hand 1 am determined to at- 
tack him, wheresoever I meet him, and 
wheresoever I meet sin, I meet satan.'* 
Some of them said, that their ears burn- 
ed on their heads, to hear me speak to 
such a man as Mr. Ingham. I answered, 
I would speak to a gentleman as I would 
to a beggar, in the cause of God. Mr. 
Ingham said, " it must needs be that of- 
fences will come — but woe to him by 
whom they do come." I replied, " Sir, 
take care that your curse does not fall on 
your own head." . Then he charged all 
the people, as they loved him and the 
brethren, that they should not let me 
preach in their houses, or encourage me, 
by hearing me elsewhere. I replied, (< I 
hope you will not hinder those who were 
couverted under my word, from hearing 
me for they are my own children." He 
said, they would hinder them — for they 
were none of mine, but our Saviour's chil- 
dren, I answered, i( I have as much right 
to call thsm my children, as St Paul had 
to call the Galatians his — and if they pe- 
rish by being turned out of the way thro* 
you, I will require their blood at your 
hand." Then Mr. Clapham said, (t May 
not I have some private conversation with 
John V s Mr. Ingham answered, & Yes." 
And Mr. .Clayham said, « He shall be 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



67 



ray teacher while I live. So it was — for 
he died in the faith within a fortnight. 

When I got home, there were several 
people at my house, waiting to be instruct- 
ed in the way to the kingdom. One of 
them cried out, i( What is the matter ? 
Are you not well ? you look so pale f I 
said " 1 have neither pain nor sickness of 
body ; but my soul is disordered within 
me, for they have bereaved me of my chil- 
dren, and commanded them not to hear me 
before my face. O these treacherous deal- 
ers have dealt treacherously ! I am sorry 
Mr. Ingham should be a tool in their hands, 
to turn the simple out of the way ; but I 
hope he does it in ignorance. If he knows 
what he is doing, he will be a miserable 
man ; for it is a less crime to take a child 
of God, and cut his throat, and thereby 
send him to heaven at once, than to turn 
him out of the way, and to destroy both 
body and soul ; nevertheless, let us pray 
for hirn and them." So we went' to pray- 
er ; and when we arose from our knees, I 
took the bible, requested God to speak to 
me by his word ; I opened on Jsa. xlix, 
19. 4 ' Thy waste and thy desolate places, 
and the land of thy destruction, shall 
now even be too narrow, by reason of the 
inhabitants And they that sw allowed 
thee up, shall be far away. Thy chil- 
dren, which thou shalthave after thouhast 
lost the others shalt say again in thine 



68 



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ears The place is too strait for me ; giv r e 
place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt 
thou say in thine heart, Who hath begot- 
ten me these, seeing I have lost my chil- 
dren, and am desolate, a captive removing 
to and fro ; and who Jhath brought up 
these ? Behold, I was left alone ; these, 
where had they been ?" At the reading 
of which words, I and all that were in the 
house were so affected, that we burst into 
weeping : And God gave me one child, 
in answer to my prayer that night. 

It was soon spread abroad that Mr. Ing- 
ham and Nelson had differed ; and many 
said, "We shall now see an end of this new 
religion V' Several of them, who once 
professed to love me as their own lives, 
now became my open enemies, and labour- 
ed to draw all from me they could. They 
said, 1 made my Bible my God ; and 
would take it up in a scornful manner, 
saying, " This is John Nelson's god ! poor 
man, he .hurts himself much by reading in 
it, it would be better for him if he would 
let it al<>ne, and abide by his heart/'— 
Then I said, " Woe is me that my mother 
ever bar 5 me, to be a man of strife to all 
that are about me — But Lord, I commit 
my cause to thee V 

So I wtjnt on preaching repentance to- 
wards G>d, and faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ •, insisting, that those who believ- 
ed, should be careful to maintain good 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



69 



works. But many that once said they 
might bless God they ever heard me, now- 
called me legal — and told me to my face, 
that I never knew the gospel liberty, nor 
what it was to enjoy the poor sinnership. 
I replied, " I do not desire to know it, I 
only want to know the perfect and accep- 
table Will of God, and power to do the 
same/' But they cried out, they had no- 
thing to do, for the Lamb had done all for 
them. 

After their next monthly meeting, one 
that had exhorted, came and called me 
out of my bouse, saying, he wanted to 
speak with me. 1 went out — when he 
told me the Brethren had sent him, and 
they had the same power as the Apostles 
had, all that withstood them were soon 
miserable. I answered, " What do you 
hobble at in your speech ? If you came to 
tell me that they have given me up into 
the hands of the devil, speak out; Mi- 
chael He said, they had. I replied, 
" I hope I shall pray for them as long as I 
live — But do you go back and tell them, I 
have the devil under my heel — and he can 
never hurt me, so long as I have the 
grace of God." 

Soon after I met with another, that had 
got into the poor sinnership, who held his 
neck on one side, and talked as if he had 
been bred up upon the borders of Bohe- 
mia : He said, the brethren were sorry 



7a 



THE JOURNAL OF 



for me ; nay, he heard some of them say, 
that they would take care of my wife and 
children I told him, I would see my 
wife and children die on a dunghill, be- 
fore I would sell my soul, and the souls of 
my country people. 

1 still kept close to God by prayer and 
fasting, and was daily refreshed with a 
sense of his love ; he also opened my 
mouth more and more to speak his word, 
so that sinners were daily converted. Sa- 
muel Mitchell encouraged me much, and 
went with me almost every night that I 
went out of town ; often four or five miles, 
after we had done our work, and we used 
to Come back together the same night in 
ail sorts of weather. 

One night after a day of fasting, I 
dreamt that Mr. John and Mr. Charles 
Wesley were both sitting by my fire side, 
and that Mr. John Wesley said, I will stay 
but a Tew days now, for 1 must go into the 
North, and return at such a time and stay 
with you a week. The next day when I 
told it, one said, " If thou hast dreamed 
so, they will certainly come." I replied, 
" 1 no more expect them than I expect the 
king to come/' But in a few months af- 
ter, they came, and sat in the very pos- 
ture I dreamed ; and Mr. John Wesley 
spoke the very words. 

I was desired once more to go to Go- 
mers-Field-Head, to speak with Mr. Ing- 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



n 



T ham. When I got there, David Taylor 
was with him in the parlour, and spoke 
kindly to me ; but when Mi*. Taylor was 
gone, he began to talk to me about mak- 
ing division among the brethren I told 
;him, I did not want to make division ; I 
wanted the people to be saved But he 
said, " We cannot receive you or Mr. 
Wesley into our community, till he pub- 
licly declares he has printed false doc- 
trine, and you declare you have preached 
false" I said, "Wherein?" He then 
burst out into laughter and said, " In tell- 
ing the people that they may live without 
committing sin/' 1 replied, " Do you call 
that false doctrine ?',' He answered, f « I 
do, I do, and Mr. Wesley has written 
false doctrine, teaching the same errors." 
He quoted some words ; then I said, 
*< They are not Mr. Wesley s but Sfc 
John s words : it is St. John says, « Let no 
man deceive you, he thatdoeth righteous- 
ness, i ^righteous, and he that committetli 
sin, is of the devil.' So if St. John be 
right, every one that preacheth contrary 
to what Mr . Wesley has written here, and 
what I have preached, is a deceiver and 
betrayer. of souls." If that be your opi- 
nion, said Mr Ingham, we cannot re- 
ceive you into our church." I replied, 
■ ** I do not want to be one of you ; for J 
am a member of the Church of England." 
He answered, (S The Church of England 



THE JOURNAL OF 



is no Church ; we are the Church." I 
said, (< We ! who do you mean ?" He re- 
plied, " I and the Moravian brethren." 
1 said, " I have no desire to have any fel- 
lowship with you or them ; it has been 
better for my own soul, since I have been 
wholly separated from you, and God has 
blessed my labours more, since I was told 
they had delivered me up to satan, than 
ever before ; therefore I think it is better 
to have their curse, than to have commu- 
nion with them." He replied, ** If you 
think so, I have no more to say to you.\ 
And then turned his back on me. 

When I went home, I met with one 
that had got into the liberty — and he told 
me that the devil had sent me into York- 
shire, to hinder the brethren from having 
the country to themselves. I answered, 
of If satan sent me, he is divided against 
himself, for you know by my preaching, 
many are turned that were grossly wick- 
ed, to live a righteous life/' He said, 
" No men should be damned but for their 
own unrighteousness," and when I men- 
tioned any Scripture, he laughed me to 
scorn, saying, " You will never be happy 
till you leave off these Scripture-notions, 
and come to your own heart, and be a poor 
sinner. 

Now a trial came upon me from another 
quarter — some of them came to my house, 
when I was from home, and talked with 



MR. J OH N NELSON. 



'my wife, stirring her up against me, so 
that she was tempted to go to them, and 
leave me— and the temptation was so 
strong, that she got out of bed three times 
to go to them ; nay, the more I reasoned 
with her from Scripture, in ever so lov- 
ing a manner, the more she was set a- 
gainst me ; then 1 had none but my old 
refuge, to get to God by prayer, and fast- 
ing ; and the Lord took the matter into his 
own hand, and shewed her, wherein she 
had been deceived, and made her a staff 
in my hand, and a support to my soul again. 

About this time one of my neighbours, 
that used to hear me preach, was going to 
London, and said, ' I should be glad to see 
Mr. John Wesley, whom you call your fa- 
ther in the gospel.' I replied, * If ycu 
will carry a lew lines to him from me, you 
may see and hear him too.* In this letter 
I desired Mr. Wesley to write to me ; and 
as he was my father in the gospel, to give 
me some instructions how to proceed, in 
the work that God had begun by such an 
unpolished tool as me. When he got to 
London,, he wrote to me, that he had seen 
Mr. Wesley and given him the letter, who 
read it, and asked him" some questions 
about me, and said, f Do you write by this 
night's post, and tell him I shall be at his 
house on Tuesday next, if God permit/ 
I got the letter on Sunday, and was melted 
into tears before the Lord. 

G 



74 



THE JOURNAL OF 



That day the Lord blessed our SOtita 
much, white we were praying that he 
would conduct his servant in safety to us, 
and bless his coming amongst us — but he 
was detained on the road, so that it was 
Wednesday at nine o'clock in the fore- 
noon when he arrived at Birstal. He sent 
for me to the inn, from whence I conduct- 
ed him to my house, and he sat down 
by my fire-side^ in the very posture I had 
dreamed about four months before, and 
spoke the same words I dreamed he spoke. 

Before he went to Newcastle, large com- 
panies of those that had left me, came to 
hear him — several of whom said they ne- 
ver heard such a sermon in their lives, nor 
ever felt so much of the power of God un- 
der any man's preachiryg. 

Some said, when Mr. Ingham came 
first, he was often telling: of this lUf. V\ es- 
ley, saying, he believed he never talked 
with him but it was a blessing to his soul, 
and extolled him above any man fhat ever 
they heard him talk of— -and now they 
thought he exceeded all that Mr. Ingham 
had said about, him — but they were great- 
ly surprized, that Mr Ingham should go 
through Birstal, and not call to see Mr. 
Wesley. 

When Mr. Wesley came from Newcas- 
tle,, their minds were changed — for they 
did not come to hear him. I asked seve- 
ral of them the reason — and they told me 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



Mr. Ingham declared he preached false 
doctrine, and it was not safe to hear him. 

However he did not preach in vain, for 
God blessed his word, and his coining was 
a great blessing to my soul. ,1 said to him 
( Sir, you may make use of Jacob's words, 
? The children thou hast begotten in Egypt 
before are mine ;* for I freely deliver 
them to your care.' After he had spent 
about a week:, he left me — and now they 
that stayed with me were confirmed in the 
truth they had received ; and many were 
convinced of the necessity of being born 
again, so that greater multitudes than 
ever came to hear, and several were con- 
re r ted. 

One Saturday night, there came a num- 
ber of people that were halting between 
the Germans and me — and as 1 preached 
to them, my mouth was almost stopped, 
an:l all the time it appeared to me as if i 
was ploughing upon a rock. Nevertheless, 
when 1 had done, and got to the fire-side, 
the people did not offer to go away, but 
stood as beggars that wanted a morsel of 
bread, I then took up the.Bible, and open- 
ed on the Prophecy of Isaiah, where it 
saith, * 1 have blotted out thy transgres- 
sions as a cloud, and thy sins as a thick 
cloud : Return unto me, for I have re- 
deemed thee/ And I said, ' Hear ye the 
word of the Lord !' So I read these words 
to them as I stood, and began to explain 



76 THE JOURNAL OF 

them, when the power of 'God caine as a 
mighty wind, and many cried out, f Lord, 
save, or we perish'. I fell upon nry knees, 
and called upon God to heal the bones that 
were broken, and to shew mercy to the 
poor and needy — And he heaxd our cry, 
so that seven testified that God for Christ's 
sake had blotted out their sins that night - 9 
and most of them told me, they purposed 
only to hear me that time, and to have 
gone to the Germans the next day. 

Now the people from every quarter 
flocked to Birstal on the Sabbath, but as 
yet there came only three from Leeds,, 
Mary Shent^ and two other women. 

It was about M&y when Mr. John Wes- 
ley came into Yorkshire, and towards 
Michaelmas that Mr. Charles Wesley and 
Mr. Charles Graves came. They stayed 
a few days, then went on to Newcastle, 
with an intent to return in a fortnight ; but 
the Lord opened such a door in that place 
that Mr, Wesley stayed some time longer. 
Mr. Graves came at the time appointed, 
and the Lord blessed his coming to seve- 
ral souls. I remember one night at Arm- 
ley, he preached, and when he ha-d done, 
I gave an exhortation, and the Lord ap- 
plied the virtue of his precious blood to 
many souls that night, and for a whole 
week together, there were some that felt 
the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.. 



MR. JOHN KELSON". 



When Mr. Charles Wesley came back 
from Newcastle, the Lord was with him 
in such a manner, that the pillars of hell 
seemed to tremble, many that were fa- 
mous for supporting the devil's kingdom, 
fell to the ground, while he was preach- 
ing, as if they had been thunder-struek. 
One day he had preached four times, and 
one that had been amongst the people all 
the day, said at night, twenty- two had 
received forgiveness of their sins that 
day. 

I think, from the time of Mr. Charles 
Wesley and Mr. Graves's first coming, 
and their leaving Yorkshire, after their 
return to Newcastle, which was about a 
month, there were added to the true be- 
lievers near four-score. Then they began 
to cry out, f The place is too strait for us, 
we should have a greater house !' So that 
' the words of Isaiah which I opened on, 
when fhe Germans bereaved me of my for- 
mer children, were fulfilled. 

About this time William Siient was 
converted — and there began to be an up- 
roar in Leeds, about his saying he knew 
his sins forgiven. Some, however, believ- 
ed his report, and had a desire to hear for 
themselves — neither could he be content 
to eat his morsel alone, for his heart pant- 
ed for tJae salvation of all his neighbours. 

The Christmas following lie desired me 
to go and preach at Leeds — but when I 
G % 



n 



THE JOURNAL OF 



gave notice of it to the Society, they ad- 
vised me not to go till we had kept a day 
of fasting and prayer. So we humbled 
ourselves before the Lord on the Friday, 
and on Sunday night I went to Leeds, 
several of the brethren accompanying me. 
As we were going over the bridge, we 
met two men, who said to me, ' If you at- 
tempt to preach in Leeds, you must not ex- 
pect to come out again alive — for there is 
a company of men who swear they will kill 
you/ 1 answered, ' They must ask my 
Fathers leave, for if he have any more 
work for me to do, all the men in the town 
cannot kill me till 1 have done it. 

When we got to brother Shent's, he had 
provided a large empty house to preach 
in, and it was well filled with people. — 
As soon as I got upon the stairs, I felt an 
awful sense of God rest upon me, and the 
people behaved as people that feared God, 
and received the word with meekness* 

Now Armle^ Society became a nurs- 
ing mother to the new born souls at Leeds ; 
for there were several steady souls at 
Armley, who had stood from the begin* 
ning without wavering, and I trust we 
eh all meet together in heaven, 

Some time after we had begun at 
Leeds, Mr. John Bennet, from Chinley, 
in Derbyshire, came to our town, and 
sent for me to the inn ; 1 did not know him, 



Mft. JOHN NELSON. 79 

but by his dress I took him to be a preach- 
er. 1 said, ' I do not know you, pray what 
is your name ?' He told me. I asked him 
if he came from Mr. Wesley? He said, 
* No, he was not in connexion with him ; 
he was in fellowship with the Moravian 
brethren, but he had had a great opinion 
of Mr. Wesley for some time, till he saw 
a little pamphlet which Mr. Wesley had 
lately published, which he stiles, The 
Character of a Methodist, and it turned 
his mind/ I asked, 'Sir, what do you 
find w rong there ?' He replied, * There is 
too much perfection in it for me/ I an- 
swered, 'Then you think a less degree of 
holiness will fit you for heaven, than what 
is mentioned there : pray what are the 
words you stumble at ?' On his telling me, 
1 said, ' They are the words of St. John. 
But he said, s We know by experience 
that there is no such thing to be attained 
in this life/ I replied, 4 If your experi- 
ence do not answer to what St. Paul and 
St. John speak, I shall not (regard it/ 
and when I mentioned some passages of 
Scripture, he did not believe that what I 
said was Scripture. 1 pulled out my bi- 
ble, and shewed him the words ; and 
when he had read them, his countenance 
changed, and he caviled no more. 

When we met again, we seemed to be 
of one heart and judgment, for God re- 
sealed his w T ill to him soon after he had 



80 



THE JOURNAL 0? 



parted with me, and made him an instru- 
ment to turn many to righteousness, and 
to bring me and my brethren to preach 
in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire, 

The first time I went, he met me at 
Ivlarsden, to conduct me into Cheshire 
hut as I went over a great Common, a 
little behind Huddersfield, a dog leaped 
out of the heath, and came and smelled at 
my leg, and walked by my side for near 
a mile, he then went to the houses that 
were a little out of the way, and bit se- 
veral dogs, and came running after me 
again, so walked by my side till he saw 
auother house, where he fought with a 
dog; then followed me again. Thus he 
went on for about five miles, and went 
with me into the inn at Marsden, when 
he sat down by my side. There were se« 
vera! men in the house, whom I asked, if 
any of tlisrn knew whose dog that was ? 
but none of them could tell. 1 said, I 
think he is mad ; but they laughed me to 
scorn. Soon after another dog came in, 
and he went and bit him directly, and 
ran out and bit four more, and then the 
men pursued and killed him When I 
saw, that Cod had kept me in such im- 
minent danger, I was greatly humbled 
before him. 

As Mr. Bennet and I went over to 
Stanedge, we met David Taylor, who 
bad got so much into the poor sinncrship* 



JOHN NELSON. 



that he would scarcely speak to ine ; he 
called Mr. Rennet to a distance, and said, 
he was sorry that he was going to take 
me into Derbyshire, for I was so full of 
law and reason, that I should do a great 
deal of hurt wherever I preached. 

I preached twice that afternoon, once 
at Hopkin-Pit, in Lancashire, and the 
other time at Woodly, in Cheshire. It 
was given out, unknown to me> to preach 
at Manchester-Cross on the Sunday after- 
noon. About ten people went with me 
from Mr. Lackwood s to Manchester^ 
When we arrived there, I do not know 
but there might be two thousand people 
gathered together at the Cross ; and most 
of them behaved well. But when I was 
in the middle of my discourse, one at the 
outside of the congregation threw a stone 
which cut me on the head ; however, 
that made the people give greater atten- 
tion, especially when they saw the blood 
run down my face ; so that all was quiet 
till I had done, and was singing a hymn, 
Then the Constable and his deputy came 
and seized me and Mr Bennet, and said, 
I You must go before the Justice.' I ask- 
ed, 6 By what order Y He held up his 
staf£ saying, that was his warrant, and 
he would make me go. I answered, f I 
will not resist, for if I have done any 
thing contrary to the law, I ought to suf- 
fer by the law/ He said, I should suffer 



The journal of 



for what I had done ; then he began to 
strike the people that crowded about us. 
As soon as he and his deputy could get 
through the multitude, they out-ran us; 
when I called and said, 1 Stay, Gentle- 
men, for we cannot get through the peo- 
ple as fast as you/ But the people crowd- 
ed about us in such a manner, that we 
saw the Constable no more. Afterwards 
we rode to Jonathan Holmes's. That 
night we had a blessed meeting ; and the 
Lord was much with us all the time I 
staved in those parts. 

Soon after Mr. John Wesley came into 
Yorkshire again ; and the Lord blessed 
his coming to many souls. When he set 
out for Newcastle, he desired me to go to 
Grimsby, in Lincolnshire, and to spend 
a few days there, among some people that 
had once run well, but were turned out 
of the way, by one that had come down 
from London, who had got into the poor 
sinner ship, and was made free from the 
righteous law of God, and from all ordi- 
nances and good works. He brought ma- 
ny of them into his own liberty, go that 
they sold their prayer books, left off read- 
ing and praying, and followed the motions 
of their own minds, which they called 
the iamb in their hearts: but one or two 
remained under the law, a£ they called it, 
that is, they still continued to read the 
Bible, and durst not leave off prayer, nor 



MR, JOHN NELSON. 



S3 



any other ordinance that Christ had ap- 
pointed. These came to Epworth'to seek 
the pure gospel ; and when they heard 
Mr, Wesley, they said, his word was as- 
sweet wine to a thirsty soul. 

I set out with a great sense of my own 
weakness, and was ready to turn back, 
then I opened my bible, where these 
words were written, ' I was afraid, and 
went and hid my talent in the ground.* I 
cried out, g Lord, give me strength and 
understanding for the work, if thou hast 
called me to it.' I opened my book again., 
on Isaiah xiv, 1. ' The Lord will have 
mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Isra- 
el, and set them in their own land, and 
the strangers shall be joined with them.' 
That night I came to Epwortb, and 
preached to a large congregation. 

Next morning, I and a man that be- 
longed to Grimsby, and a boy about twelve 
years of zge, set out on foot ior Grimsby, 
but night came upon us when we were 
five miles Siiort of it, and there being no 
public house near, we went to several 
farm houses to ask for lodging, but 
could get none. Then we went to a poor 
house, where I prevailed with the people 
to let the boy lie with two of their own 
boys ; and I said to the man, ' Let us ga 
and seek a bed somewhere else, or a sta- 
ble to lie in. As we went on in the dark, 
we saw a light at a small distance,, and 



THE JOURNAL OF 



we went over a field to it. I knocked at 
the door, and they bid us come in ; there 
were four men, three women, and two 
hoys, sitting by the fire. As soon as I 
entered, I said, * Peace be to this house \ 
at which words the people started up as 
if I had thrown fire at them. I said, 
* We are two way faring men, and if you 
will entertain us for a night, we will sa- 
tisfy you. They got us a good supper, 
iind made us a good bed. I talked to 
them about the way of salvation, and 
went to prayer with them, and they were 
so affected, that the master and the mis- 
tress talked to me two hours after we 
were in bed. The next morning after 
breakfast, I went to pay the woman, but 
she said her husband charged her to take 
nothing, but on the contrary, to give us 
some money to support us on the road ; 
but 1 replied, ' Not one farthing will we 
have, and if you will not take our money, 
I pray God reward you with everlasting 
consolation/ 

We then went where w r e had left the 
boy, and paid the people for him> and 
set out for Grimsby, which we reached 
by ten o'clock. The people soon heard 
that I was come, and flocked to me di- 
rectly, when I prayed with them, and be- 
gan to exhort, but many of them despised 
my words, saying, I was too legal for 
them, I then took up my Bible, and said. 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



8-5 



* Hear ye the word of the Lord !' So I 
fread two or three verses, and bid them 
try themselves by that standard ; then I 
read in another place, and said, ' If you 
will compare your conscience with these 
Scriptures, you may see what state your 
souls are in/ One woman turned pale 
and began to tremble, saying, * I clearly 
see we are deluded, and that what we call- 
ed the lamb in our hearts, is nothing but 
the devil/ Then she cried otit, ? Alas ! 
Alas 1 what must we do?' We went ta 
prayer again, and God made the king- 
dom of satan to shake once more in that 
place. ♦ 

The second night, a schoolmaster sent 
me word that he would give me leave to 
preach in his school, which would hold 
several hundreds of people. But those 
that had fallen into the poor sinnership, 
told me, if 1 did, they durst not go to 
hear me, for they should be mobbed, and 
I should be killed. I said, ' As the gen- 
tleman has made me the offer, 1 will ac- 
cept it, and by the grace of God will 
preach, if there were as many devils in 
it as there are tiles on it/ Accordingly 
I went, and it was well filled from side to 
side, and the people behaved well. I 
found great liberty in speaking, and when 
I had done, several cried out, * This is 
the way of salvation/ 
H 



So 



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When I came back to brother Blow's, 
those that had been shorn of their 
strength, confessed their fear fulness, and 
said, * While we continued in the spirit 
in which we were converted, we were as 
bold as lions. O, w 7 hat shall we do to re- 
cover our strength ?' I told them to hum- 
ble themselves before the Lord with 
prayer and fasting, and he would snatch 
them out of the snare of the devil, and 
give them back their first love. 

I preached again the next morning, and 
set out for Ep worth. In my way 1 stopt 
at Ferry, where I preached at four in the 
afternoon, and got into Ep worth by seven 
that evening. 

When I came there, such a large com- 
pany were gathered together, that I could 
not get into the house, nor yet one third 
of the people, though it was dark and 
snowed however, 1 desired them to hand 
me out a chair, so I stood up in the snow, 
and preached, and they behaved as well 
as ever I knew a congregation in my life ; 
and it appeared that God blessed his word 
to many souls that night. 

When I returned home, I found God 
had opened the mouth of Jonathan Reeves, 
and blessed his word to numbers about 
Birstal ; and we labo?jred tc^Qthev for 
some time, till I returned into Mr, Ben* 
net's circuit. 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 87 



I went into (be Peak to preach at Mo- 
nyash, when a Clergyman, with a great 
company of men that worked in the iead- 
groves, all being in liquor, came in just 
as I began to give out the hymn : As 
soon as we began to sing, he began to hal- 
loo and shout, as if he were hunting with 
a pack of hounds, and so continued all the 
time ,we sang. When I began to pray, 
he attempted to overturn the chair that 
1 stood on, but he could not, although he 
struck so violently with his foot, that he 
broke one of the arms of the chair quite 
off. When I began to preach, he called 
on his companions to pull me down ; but 
they replied, " No, Sir, the man says 
nothing hut the truth : Pray, hold your 
peace, and let us hear what he has to 
say/ He then came to me himself, took 
me by the collar of my shirt, and pulled 
me down ; then he tore down my coat 
cuffs, and attempted to tear it down the 
hack ; then took me by the collar and 
shook me, ' I said, 6 Sir, you and I must 
shortly appear at the bar of God, to give 
an account of this night's work 3 He re- 
plied, ' What ! must you and I appear 
before God's bar together/ I said, ' As 
sure as we look one another in the face 
r.ow ' He let go my throat, took my bi- 
ble out of my hand, and turning it over 
and over, said, s it is a right Bible; and 
if you preach by the Spirit of God, let m& 



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Lear you preach from this text f which 
was, * Wisdom strengthened the wise, 
more than ten mighty men in the city \ I 
got up and began to preach from this 
text, and when any offered to make a 
noise, the grovers said, * Hold your peace, 
or we wiii make you, and let us hear 
what he will make of the parson's text.* 
As I w r ent on, the parson said, • That is 
right, that is true/ After awhile he look- 
ed round, and saw many in tears ; then 
he looked at me, and went away, leav- 
ing me to finish my discourse in peace. 
All the rest of the Circuit I had peace- 
able meetings ; and the Lord kept still 
adding to the number of his children. 

At my return home, I began to preach 
in the open street, at brother Shent's 
door, in Leeds, and great companies 
flocked to hear me. The first time I 
stood up in the street, I was struck on 
the head with an egg and two potatoes, 
but that neither hindered me from speak- 
ing, nor them from hearing. I heard that 
several serious people, as soon as I had 
done, went to an old Clergyman, to ask 
his advice about the doctrine I had 
preached, and told him as much of my 
sermon as they could : He answered, he 
hoped no one had disturbed me from 
preaching that doctrine ; they told him 
some had thrown potatoes at me, and 
spoiled my wig and coat with a rottea 



egg ; he said, he would rather lose his 
arm, than throw at any man for preach- 
ing such doctrine : for that was the mar- 
row of the gospel. Many lost their pre- 
judice by his word, and embraced the 
truth with joy ; so that I preached in the 
streets at Leeds, every other Sunday 
morning, with very little disturbance. 

After some time I went into Lincoln- 
shire again ; and the congregation was so 
large at Grimsby, that 1 was obliged to 
stand upon a table at brother Blow's back 
door for several days together. As I was 
preaching, the Minister and three mei^ 
came to play at quoits, as near the pea- 
pie as they could get ; but with all their 
playing and shouting they could not draw 
any one from hearing. 

Some friends from Tetney and Clear- 
thorps pre railed with me to go to a shep- 
herd's house near the sea coast. There 
was a large company gathered together in 
that desart, and I opened my book on 
Gal. 1, 3. ' Grace be unto you, and peace 
from God the Father, and from our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our 
sins, that he might deliver us from this 
present evil world, according to the will 
of God and our Father/ I felt much of 
the Lord's presence, and the power of 
God was so great among us, that the peo- 
ple fell flat on their faces, or kneeled 
down on £heir knees, so that there was 
H % 



90 



*HE JOURNAL 6* 



not, one left standing, and their cry wai 
so great, that my voice could not be 
heard ; then I fell on my knees and call- 
ed upon the Lord to htal the bones that 
were broken, and I believe many will 
praise God for that meeting to all eterni- 

On my return to Epworth, I was desir- 
ed to go by Hainton, and several from 
Grimsby went with me. When we got 
there, William Fenwick told me, there 
was a company of men at the bowling 
green, who had made themselves almost 
drunk, on purpose to kill me : I answer- 
ed, that God was my defence, and I be- 
lieved he would deliver me from them 
all. As soon as they heard I was come, 
they all Jeft the bowls, and came to Wil- 
liam Fenwick's, many of them with sticks 
about two feet long, and as thick as a 
man's wrist ; some of them beg^in to sing 
a psalm, and others to curse and swear ; 
but I reproved tbem, and they had no 
power to meddle with me. At the ap- 
pointed hour I went into the street, and 
spoke to them in the name of the Lord, 
and God put a bridle in the jaws of the 
wicked, so that they stood patiently to 
hear, while I was reasoning with them 
about the necessity of being made holy 
here, that we may not be damned eter- 
nally. A lusty, red faced gentlewoman 
exclaimed aloud, ' I am a Papist, and be- 



MR, JOHN NELSON. 



91 



lieve I shall be cleansed in purgatory/ 
When I had done, I said, ' I appeal to all 
your consciences, that I have not spoken 
my own words, but the words of the 
Lord/ A gentleman answered, ' We al- 
low all you say is true ; yet you deserve 
to be set in the stocks for delivering it in 
the street/ 

As I went into the house* one hit me 
with an egg on my head, and the people 
crowded so fast into the house that I 
could scarcely turn myself; at last 1 got to 
git upon a dresser, and spoke to them for 
an hour, and God began to work on seve- 
ral of them ; but as soon as they began 
to tremble, and cry out, * Lord save, or 
we perish/ others made all the haste they 
could to get out of the house. When I 
got to Ep worth, I found the people much 
in earnest, and my own soul was greatly 
blessed in speaking to them. 

After I had laboured in Yorkshire a 
while longer, Mr. John Wesley sent for 
me to London. But by this time 1 had 
almost worn out my clothes, and did not 
know where the next should come from. 
My wife said, I was not fit to * > any 
where as I was. * 1 answered, ' i have 
worn them out in the Lord's work, and 
ie will not let me want long/ Two days 
after, a Tradesman in our parish, that 
did not belong to our Society, came to my 
kouse, and brought me a piece of blue 



THE JOURNAL OF 



cloth for a coat, and a piece of black 
cloth for a waistcoat and breeches ; so 
see the Lord is mindful of them that trust 
in him. 

As soon as I well could, I set out fo 
London on foot, but one of my neigh 
hours was going, and he took my place 
and let me ride sometimes, I preache 
at Nottingham-Cross as I went. 

I stayed a few days at London, the 
Mr. Richards and I get out for Oxford 
We both preached at High-Wycombe as 
we went. 

When we came to Oxford, we met thre 
young gentlemen in their gowns in the 
street, but I think I never heard a soldier 
or a sailor swear worse than they did . 
Mr. Richards being first, and a Collegian 
himself, said, f Gentlemen, I am ashamed 
to hear you • It is a sad thing, that you 
should come here to learn to be guides to 
others in the way to heaven, and continue 
to go. in the way to destruction your- 
selves !' One of them said with a curse, 
* What, are you a Presbyterian V When I 
spoke, another of them said, 'These chaps 
belo „ to poor Wesley % so they went a- 
way . 

We spent a Sabbath at Oxford ; and 
some of the Collegians behaved very rude- 
ly as I was preaching in the evening ; but 
the Lord put his hook into their jaws, 
and kept them from doing any harm to the 



MR. JOHN KELSON. 



people, or hindering me in my discourse. 
The next day we got to Cirencester, and 
stayed two nights there ; and one of the 
brethren went with us to Bristol. All this, 
journey, we had but one horse between 
Mr. Richards and me. 

After tarrying a few days at Bristol, 
and preaching a few days at Bath, Mr, 
Wesley, Mr. Downs and I set out for 
Cornwall. Mr. Downs and I had but one 
horse, so we rode by turns. Mr. Wesley 
preached at Taunton Cross and Exeter 
Castle as we went. We generally set out 
before Mr. Wesley and Mr. Shepherd. 

One day having travelled twenty miles* 
without baiting, we came to a village, and 
enquired for an Inn ; but the people told 
us there was none in the town, nor any oix 
our road within twelve Cornish miles : 
Then I said, * Come, brother Downs, we 
must live by faith/ When we had stood 
awhile, I said, * Let us go to yonder 
house, where the stone porch is, and ask 
for something ; so we did, and the woman 
said, 6 We have bread, butter and milk,, 
and good hay for your horse 9 When, we 
had refreshed ourselves, 1 gave the wo- 
man a shilling ; but she said, she did not 
desire any thing : I said, ' I insist upon 
it/ 

We got to Bodmin that night ; but it 
was late before Mr. Wesley and Mr. Shep- 
herd arrived, having lost the path on ths 



§4 



THE JOURNAL OF 



twelve-mile-common, and found the way* 
again by the sound of the bells. The next 
day we got to Gwenap, and the day after 
to St. Ives. The following day I worked 
at my own business, and continued to 
work for several days. 

When I had done my job of work, I 
went to St. Justs, and preached at the 
cross to a large company of well behaved 
people. Then I went to the Land's-End, 
and preached the same evening. Next 
morning, which was Sunday, 1 came to 
Morva church. After service I preach- 
ed, and in the evening at Zunnor. 

When I had been out a week, I return- 
ed to St. Ives, and found brother Downs 
in^a fever, so that he was not able to preach 
at all. All that time Mr. Wesley and I 
lay on the floor. He had my great coat 
for his pillow, and I had Burliitt's Notes 
on the New-Testament for mine. After 
being here near three weeks, one morning, 
about three o'clock, Mr.- Wesley turned 
over, and finding me awake, clapped me on 
the side, saying, s Brother Nelson, let us 
be of good cheer, I have one whole side 
yet, for the skin is oft* but on one side/ We 
usually preached on the Commons, gring 
from one Common to another, and it was 
but seldom any one asked us to eat and 
drink. 

One day we had been at St. Hillary 
Do\vnt s and Mr. Wesley had preached 



MB. JOHN NELSON", 



from Ezekiel's vision of dry bones, and 
there was a shaking among the people, 
as he preached. As we returned, Mr. 
Wesley stopped his horse to pick the 
black-berries, saying, 6 Brother Nelson, 
we ought to be thankful that there are 
plenty of black berries ; for this is the best 
country I ever saw for getting a stomach, 
but the worst that ever I saw for getting 
food j do the people think we can live by 
preaching V I said, ' I know not what they 
may think ; but one asked me to eat some- 
thing as 1 came from St. Justs, when I eat 
heartily of barley bread and honey.' He 
said ' You were well off : I had thought of 
begging a crust of bread of the woman, 
where i met the people at Morva, but for- 
got it till 1 had got some distance from the 
house / 

One Sunday, hav ing been at the Land's 
End in the morning, and at Morva at noon, 
I came toZunnor to preach at night, and 
got there before the afternoon service be- 
gan. In the sermon the minister said, 
* Here is a people, who hold that damna- 
ble popish doctrine of Justification by 
faith ; therefore I beg you net to hear 
them.' After the service was over, I went 
about two hundred yards from the church, 
and got upon a rock, where I began to sing 
a hymn, and ;I believe the whole congre- 
gation came to hear me. According to 
the light I had, I shewed what was the 



96 



THE JOURNAL OF 



faith of the gospel, and what the faith of 
the church of Rome. 

I stayed a fortnight after Mr. Wesley 
was gone, and found my soul was much 
blessed among the people. When Mr. 
Wesley arrived at Bristol, he wrote to 
me, and desired me to call at three differ- 
ent places to preach, in my way to Bris- 
tol. 

When I leftCapt. Hitchens's, I was be- 
nighted on the twelve mile common, and 
was wet to -the skin, but by the providence 
of God, I came to the bouse, where I had 
called in going down. 1 knocked at the 
door, and the woman knew my voice, and 
said, * The Lord bless you ! come in.' As 
soon as 1 went into the house, they pulled 
off my wet clothes, and put on me dry ones, 
and got me something warm for sup- 
per ; they took my wet clothes out of my 
bags, which they rinced, dried and iron- 
ed. We sang a hymn, went to pray- 
er, and I gave them an exhortation that 
night. The next morning, the man rose 
up, and alarmed that and another village, 
so that by seven o'clock I had about three 
hundred to preach to, who all seemed to 
receive the word with joy. I heard soon 
afterward, that the man and his wife, who 
received us, had received the Lord that 
sent us. 

The next night I came to Sticklepath, 
and preached to a large congregation in 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



93 



a field. As I was speaking, a woman, 
who had been brought up a Quaker, be- 
gan to tremble, and in a little time sunk 
down upon the grass, and laid till I had 
done. Then they brought her to Mrs. 
Bridgood's, where I was, and I prayed 
with her. Although most of the company 
were Quakers, yet they desired me to sing, 
and read several of our hymns. 

The next morning, before I began to 
preach> the woman that fell down, with 
two more, came into the room where I 
was ; she said, ' I had no rest in the night, 
the anguish of my soul was so great, and 
I desire thee to pray with me.' We went 
to prayer, and when we rose up, she said, 
O praise the Lord, for to-day is the day 
of Pentecost with me/ 

After 1 had done preaching, an Excise- 
man, who came from Crockern Wells, 
told me, that it was given out for me to 
preach there at ten o'clock that afternoon, 
and he was to conduct me. So we set 
out directly, and T preached in an orchard. 
Among the rest of the people were a cler- 
gyman and his wife. All behaved well. 

Almost as soon as I alighted at the Ox- 
ford Inn, in Exeter, a man came to con- 
duct me to the place where I was to 
preach. There was a clergyman in the 
next room, who soon came into the room 
where I was, and asked me how the two 
Mr. Wesleys did? and insisted upon my 
J, 



08 



THE JOURNAL OF 



supping with him. I told him, I must go 
to preach first. He said he would go with 
me ; which he did. As I was preaching, 
the clerk of a parish fell down, and after 
him another man and woman. They did 
not cry out, but lay groaning for mercy. 
After I had done, and. the greater part of 
the people were gone, I went to prayer 
with them that were in distress. 

As we went back to the Inn, the Cler- 
gyman said> i I dare not preach as you did 
to-night : You prayed that God would 
give you some fruit in that place,, as he 
had done in others ; I have been a preach- 
er for many years, and I cannot say that I 
have had any fruit, that any one has 
been converted by my preaching in all 
my life.' I replied, ' If you be not con- 
verted yourself, and have not a greater 
commission than man can give you, you 
may preach all your days, and never con- 
vert one soul. 

When we were at supper, he asked me 
how Mr. Wesley went on ? and when he 
heard how he lived, and how he was treat- 
ed by wicked men, he said, c Jf that be the 
way to heaven, I think I shall never get 
there ; my flesh is not brass, nor by bones 
iron/ I replied, ' You do not know what 
you can bear, till you come to be tried.' 
He said, ' Well, I believe Mr. Wesley is . 
the greatest man in the kingdom, but I 
think he uses too much austerity.' We 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



99 



talked till eleven o'clock, then parted in 
love. I saw him no more, but have heard 
since that he receives Mr. Wesley to 
preach in his ehurch, and that God has 
made him an instrument of converting 
sinners. 

I preached the next morning, and then 
set out for Axminster, where 1 preached in 
the open street, at three in the afternoon, 
to a well behaved people, though it was 
the second day of the fair. 

The next day, 1 went to Thorngrove, 
near Middiesey. That night God blessed 
his word to many, as appeared afterwards. 
One gentlewoman was convinced that 
night, who four years after sent my wife 
four guineas, which came in good time ; 
for she had borrowed four guineas of a 
neighbour to buy a cow, and the time for 
payment was come, and she had not mo- 
ney to pay. 

When I got to Bristol, I found my soul 
much blessed among the people, and in 
those ten days there were several that 
found the Lord. 

In my return home I preached at Stroud, 
and several other places in my way to 
Wednesbury, whither 1 came not long af- 
ter the people had been mobbed in such aj| 
cruel manner. I preached in an open yard y 
to very large congregations of people, se- 
veral times ; some of the mobbers came to 



100 



the journal of 



hear me, but all behaved well. So he, 
who stops the raging of the sea, can stay 
the madness of the people. 

After spending a few days there, I set 
out for Nottingham, and stayed there two 
days. I preached at the Malt-Cross on the 
Sabbath, to a large congregation, in great 
peace ; but Monday being a rejoicing day, 
they had bon-fires in the Market- place, 
and some came with squibs to disturb me 
as I was preaching. One of them threw a 
squib on fire close to my heels, but a wo- 
man kicked it away. The man caught it 
up again to throw at me, but it burst in 
his hand, and he went away shaking his 
head. Another came on the low side 
the cross wirh a design to throw one in 
my face ; bat I did not turn my face that 
way as soon as he expected, so that it 
burst in his own hand. As soon as I had 
done, a sergeant in the #rmy came to 
me with tears in his <°yes, and said, ' in the 
presence of God, and all this people 1 beg 
your pardon ; for I came on purpose to 
mob you, but when I could get no one to 
assist me, I stood to hear you, and am con- 
vinced of the deplorable state my soul is 
in, and I believe you are a servant of the 
living God/ He then embraced me, and 
went away weeping. 

When I gDt home, I found my wife 
much better, though never likely to reco- 
yer her former strength j owing to the per- 



.MR. JOHN NELSON, 



101 



secution she met with at Wakefield, when 
Mr. Darwood was mobbed there. After 
they had abused him, she, with some wo- 
men, set out for Birstal, a mob followed 
them into the fields; when they overtook 
them, she turned about and spake to them, 
upon which all the men returned without 
touching them, but the women followed 
them till they came to a gate, where they 
stopt them. They damned her, saying, 
f You are Nelson's wife, and here you shall 
die/ They saw she was big with child, 
yet beat her on the body so cruelly, that 
they killed the child in her wamb, and she 
went home and miscarried directly ; this 
treatment she has reason to remember to 
her life's end ; but God more than made 
it up to her, by filling her with peace and 
love. 

There had been some disturbance at 
Leeds, and I was the first that stood up af- 
ter at brother Shenfs door. A number of 
men had protested to pull down the first 
man that attempted to preach there ; but 
if the fear of God could not restrain them, 
the fear of the magistrates did, so that 
they did not meddle with me ; only some 
boys threw about a peck of turnips at me, 
but not one of them iiit me. That was a 
blessed morning to inany^ouls ; two that 
had been enemies, were struck to the 
ground, and cried out for the disquietude 

I 2 



102 



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of tbeirsouls. I preached often afterwards, 
with little disturbance, and believers were 
multiplied in Leeds. • 

After I had stayed a few months in 
Yorkshire, I went a third time into Lin- 
colnshire. At Ep worth we had peaceable 
and blessed meetings. But when I came 
to Grimsby, the minister got a man to beat 
the town drum through the town, and went 
before the drum, and gathered all the rab- 
ble he could, giving them liquor to go 
with him to fight for the church. When 
they came to Mr. Blow's door, they set up 
three huzzas, and the parson cried out, 
' Pull down the house ! pull down the 
house!' But no one offered, to touch the 
house till I had donepreaching. Then they 
broke the windows, till they had not left 
one whole square about the house ; and as 
the people went out, they abused them, till 
some of the mob began to right their fel- 
lows for abusing the women, so that most 
of the people got away while they were 
.fighting one with another. Not long af- 
ter the minister gathered them together 
again, and gave them more drink ; then 
they came and broke the stanchions of 
the windows, pulled up the paving in the 
streets, which they threw in at the win- 
dows, and broke the household goods in 
pieces, the parson crying out, 4 If they 
will not turn the villain out/that we may 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



103 



put him in the black-ditch, pull down 
the house/ 

While they were drumming, cursing and 
swearing, fighting and breaking the goods, 
one of their neighbours, who was not a 
hearer, wenr to an alderman, and said, 
* Some order must be taken with these 
men, for if they be suffered to go on as they 
do, they will ruin William Blow, and I 
fear they will kill somebody/ But the 
good alderman said he would do nothing 
but lend them his mash-tub to pump the 
preacher in. Then the mob fell out again 
one with another and dispersed, after la- 
bouring from seven till almost twelve at 
night. The parson said to the drummer, 
I will reward you for your pains, but 
be sure to come at live in the morning, for 
the villain will be preaching again then/ 
So the drummer did, and began to beat 
just as I was going to give out the hymn- 
When he had beat for near three quarters 
of an hour, and saw it did not disturb us, 
he laid down his drum, and stood to hear 
for himself, and the tears presently ran 
down his cheeks. When I had ended, he 
expressed great sorrow for what he had 
done to disturb us. As he and some others 
went up the town, the parson met them, 
and bid them be sure to come at seven 
o'clock. Ns said, e No, sir ; I will ne- 
ver beat the drum to disturb yonder peo- 
ple any more while breath is in my body/ 



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So that we had great peace in our shatter 
ed house that night, and God's presenc 
amongst us. 

The next day I went to Hainton ; an 
when I had done preaching, a grave elde 
]y gentleman came to me and said, ( You] 
doctrine is sound, but it would far bettej 
become a church/ I answered, ' Sir, if 
man was hungry in the midst of a desart 
and wholesome food was brought him, he 
would not refuse to eat because he was no 
in the dining-room/ He replied, ' Yoi 
are right, you are right. 1 thank yo 
Jundly, and wish you well, and that muc 
good may be done by you wherever yoi 
preach, for good food is good, wherever i 
is eaten/ 

When I got to Epworth, I was told th< 
jslerk was drunk, and had been swearin 
he would pull down the preacher, an 
take him to such an ale-house, where tht 
curate and some other men were drinking 
In the evening, as I was preaching, h 
came staggering, and rushed in among the 
people, crying, ' Stand out of the way 
for 1 must have the preacher : He must 
go before my master, that is in such an 
ale-house/ One asked him where his 
warrant was ? he said he had none, but 
his master had sent him, and he would 
make me go with him. Ths people bade 
him hold his peace, or get about his busi- 
ness } and when he began to be rude, one 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



165 



took him up in his arms, and laid him 
down upon a dunghill, and there left him. 

After I got home, it was much impres- 
sed upon me, that some trial was coming 
upon me. And several times when 1 was 
preaching, I have said, ' There is a cloud 
gathering, and it will burst oyer my head. 
Opray for me !' After this, I stayed some 
time in Yorkshire, and sinners were daily 
turning from their evil ways ; so that se- 
veral ale-house keepers cursed me to my 
face, and told me 1 ought to be transport- 
ed, for I preached so much hell and dam- 
nation, that I terrified the people so, that 
they durst not spend sixpence with a neigh- 
bour. 

Some time after, I met a gentleman as 
I was riding to Leeds, who said something 
about the weather I answered, i The 
Lord orders all things wellv He present- 
ly said, 6 1 know you, for I have heard you. 
preach, but I do not like you. You lay 
a wrong foundation for salvation : Do 
you think that the blood of another man 
will save me/ I replied, f St. Paul; sailh 
other foundation can no man lay but Christ 
Jesus but you say that is a wrong foun- 
dation. Upon what terms do you expect 
to be saved V He said, ' by good works/ 
I answered, f You will be the firstthatever 
got to heaven that way. But, suppose you 
could, what would you do when you came 
there ?' He said, * What do others do 



100 THE JOURNAL OF 

there?* I answered, ' They sing glory to 
God that sitteth on the throne, and to the 
Lamb for ever and ever, that was slain, 
and hath redeemed us by his blood. But 
your song will be, glory to myself. For I 
have quickened my own soul, and quali- 
fied myself for heaven. O sir, what a 
scandalous song will you have to sing ? It 
will make discord in heaven/ He turned, 
pale, and said nothing for some time. 
When he had rode awhile, he said, ( All 
the Lord requires of us is, To do justly, 
to love mercy, and walk humbly with 
God/ I answered, • Do you expect to 
stand or fall by that scripture ?' He said, 
' I do/ Then I replied, • You are lost for- 
ever, if you are to go to heaven for doing 
justly, for loving mercy, and walking 
humbly with God. I appeal to your con- 
science, if you have not come short in 
every one of these duties. Have you dealt 
with every man, as you would have him 
do to you, in all circumstances, ever since 
you knewgoodfrom evil ? Suppose you had, 
have you dealt justly with God, and employ- 
ed every talent, that he has committed to 
your charge, to his glory, both time, wis- 
dom and learning ; house, land, health 
and trade ? If you have used any one ta- 
lent, and not to the glory of God, you 
have robbed him.* Then I spoke of the 
other two/ He said, < There is repent- 
ance/ But I replied, ( Not for you ; for 



Mil. JOHN NELSOtf. 



10 7 



ydii are to be saved fordoing justly, for 
loving mercy, and walking humbly with 
God. If you come short of these duties, 
you must be damned*' He said, ' Lord 
have mercy on me ! you are enough to 
make any man despair/ • Yes, I said, of 
saving himself, that he may come to Jesus 
Christ and be saved.' He argued no 
more. But heard me patiently, and part- 
ed friendly. 

One Sunday I was at a chapel, where 
the Minister laboured much to persuade 
the people that there was no such thing 
as the forgiveness of sins in this world : 
when he had done, he sent the* clerk to 
desire me to call upon him ; I did so> and 
he told me, he understood I was he that 
went about to delude the people, telling 
them they might know their sins forgiv- 
en in this world, and there is no such 
thing ; he said, he did not know his own 



with several learned Divines, and there 
was not one of them that did ; and seve- 
ral believed they must never know it, till 
the day of judgment. I answered, 4 Sir, 
what will became of their souls till then ; 
will they lie in heaven or hell Y He said, 
\ It was an unfair question.' I replied, 
< Sir, if what you say be true, every time 
we use the church prayers, we offer the 
sacrifice of fools, and mock God to his 
face ; for this day you and all the congre 



sins were fo 




d .he had talked 



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gation in my presence, prayed that God 
would forgive you all your sins, negligen- 
ces, and ignorances: And you affirmed 
in the presence of God, that he pardoneth 
and absolveth all them that truly repent, 
and unfeiguedly believe the gospel ; if he 
do not, you arc a false witness and a de- 
ceiver of the people ; yea, and a contem- 
ner of the word of God ; for St. Peter 
saith, 'To him give all the prophets wit- 
ness, that whosoever beKeveth in him, 
shall receive forgiveness of their sins/ 
And St. Paul saith, € By him all that be- 
lieve are justified from all things/ He 
doth not say they shall be justified at the 
day ^f judgment, but all that believe are 
justified. And St. John saith, ' I write 
unto you little children, because your sins 
are forgiven for his name's sake/ He re- 
plied, ' You take some part of Scripture/ 
1 answered, < I leave all the rest to you 
to contradict me ifyou can. For this day 
you have denied the faith of the Church 
you call yourself a Minister of ; as she 
saith, ' Before the grace of Christ, and 
the inspiration of his Holy Spirit, no good 
work can be done.' But you say, there is 
no such thing as inspiration to be expect- 
ed in this age. And yet you prayed that 
God would cleanse the thoughts of your 
heart by the inspiration of his Holy Spi- 
rit / Then he said, 'You have oo good 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



109 



memory for me i Landlady, bring us a 
pint of ale :'— So I left him 

One man in our town that had ran 
well for a season, but had turned from 
us, and was become a happy sinner, now 
invited the Germans to preach at his 
house. One of their chief Preachers came, 
and said, (after preaching,) they had been 
asking their Saviour about preaching in 
Birstal ; and the Lamb had made it plain 
to them, the time was come that they 
should have a church in Birstal : Which, 
when one came and told me ; 1 said, 
* God had shewed me to the contrary, 
and you may go and tell the Preacher, 
that that lamb who told them so, is a 
liar.' They came several weeks together, 
"but to no purpose. Then the Preacher 
said, ' It is not the lamb's will that they 
should come any more-' When they told 
me, I replied, * Their lamb is much giv- 
en to change : He had not continued in 
one mind for three months.' 

After this, as I was going to Staincliff 
to work at my business, about five in the 
morning, I met with a Dissenting Minis- 
ter ; he stopped me, and said, s John, 
you go often this way : I would have you 
come and spend an hour with us, for I 
want to talk with you/ 1 answered, I 
have not an hour to spare, for I go to 
my work at five in the morning, and 



110 



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work till six at night- Then I have au 
ways somewhere to go and preach ; so 
that I have scarely time to read a chap- 
ter in the Bible, but at my dinner hour i 
and sometimes I have to preach in that 
hour/ He said, ' What do you mean by 
Redemption ? Do you mean that Christ 
hath died for all ?' I replied, ' I do be- 
lieve he did,, or he cannot judge all : 
For Truth itself cannot condemn any 
man, because he will not believe a lie/ 
He said, * What do you mean Y 1 answer- 
ed, 6 Every man is bound to believe that 
by nature he is a child of wrath ; and 
by wilful sin an heir of hell ; and that 
while he was in that lost condition, ^the 
eternal Son of God, for his sake, took 
upon him our nature; and did in that 
nature fulfil all righteousness for him, and 
at the last gave his soul an offering for 
sin ; he must consciously believe that the 
Lord Jesus Christ loved him, and gave 
himself for him, or he must be damned 
eternally. And if the Lord did not give 
himself for him, he must be damned, be- 
cause he does not believe a lie. But you 
know it is said, f He, by the grace of God* 
tasted death for every man ; a#d he gave 
himself a ransom for all, to he testified i» 
due season/ And St. John saith, ' He is. 
the propitiation for our sins ; and not for 
ours only, but for the sins of the whole 
world/ Sir, there are numberless Scrip, 
tines that say he did die for all ; but 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



Ill 



shew me one that saith he did not die 
I for all ? He answered, ' If he died for all, 
why are not all saved ?' I replied, * Let 
the Lord answer for himself : — ' Ye will 
not come unto me, that ye might have 
life/ He then said, ' You say, it is 
• of him that wilieth/ I answered, ' It is 
| Christ that saith, « Ye will not come to 
me. Do not pretend to be wiser than the 
Lord that made you. You sayyou will have 
ilo ifs ; but I say, If you give the promise 
without the condition, God will take your 
name out of the book of life. I hope you 
will weigh these things ; I shall be glad 
to converse with you at some other oppor- 
tunity, for my time is now expired/ 5 

Almost every day some came to dispute 
with me as I was at work. And I saw eve- 
ry day more clearly, that he who insists on 
men being saved from theirsins, by Christ 
in this world, is like a speckled bird, for 
all Sects and Parties that have not the life 
of Christ in them to mock at. 

One day two Quakers fell upon me very 
hotly, and told me I was carnal, or else I 
should not make use of carnal ordinances, 
nor seek the living among the dead, 1 
told them, those ordinances they called 
carnal. I knew to be spiritual ; for God 
had refreshed my soul in the use of them 
by his spirit. ' You say, 1 seek the living 
among the dead / but I do not ; for I have 
found the Lord of life in the great congre- 



THE JOURNAL OF 



gation : But if I would leave the church* 
where must I go to find a people that are 
truly alive to God ? They told me, if \ 
w as right I should come tp them ; for they 
were the only people that had spiritu- 
al worship amonsgt them. They talked 
much about Ceorge Fox and William 
Penn, and said, ' What thinkest thou of 
them? 1 I answered, ' I thi^A well of them 
but their graces will profit you nothing, 
except the same change be wrought in < 
your hearts, as was in them. Neither 
do I see that you are God s people any 
more than those who go to church ; for 
the Lord hath set a mark upon his chil- 
dren, and it will rest on them as long aa 
the world endureth/ They asked, ' W T hat is 
that mark ?' I replied, ' They are hated of 
all men that know not God ; for they who * 
live after the spirit must be persecuted by 
those that live after the flesh. I do not 
sec that is your case, any more than of 
those who go to church : Your forefathers 
had that spot of God's children v but you 
have lost it as much as the church/ Then 
one of them turned pale, and said, " Do 
you believe that God hath no people in the 
land but the Methodists t I replied, I 
did not say so/ He said., ' They are the 
only people that are persecuted now ' 
They then went away seemingly much dis- 
contented. 

As [ was passing thro' part of Lancashire, 
I found the Lord reviving his work among 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 11$ 

the people. After I had done preaching 
at one place, a man and his wile came to 
me, both in tears, and desired me to pray 
with them ; I did so. When 1 had done, £ 
was exhorting them to abstain from all 
evil, and to continue in prayer, and told 
them, God would shew mercy unto them, 
for the obedience and blood-shedding of 
his dear Son. presently a dissenter broke 
out, and said, * You are deceiving the 
people, and setting them to lean on a bro- 
ken reed, by telling them that another 
man's obedience and blood would atone for 
their sins * I asked him how he could 
stand before that God who is of purer eyes 
than to behold iniquity, if there were no 
merit in the blood of Christ to atone for 
his sins ? He said, ' Man hath such noble 
faculties, that if he improve them, he will 
thereby qualify himself for heaven ; but 
you degrade man's nature in your preach- 
ing, and set him on a level with the brute 
beasts.' I said, f Did I so ?' He replied, 
* Yes, you did, for I heard you myself. 5 
I replied, ( Then sir,ycru heard me preach 
false doctrine; for if [set a natural man 
upon a level with the beasts, I set him 
greatly out of his place : I believe he is 
tar worse ; for he has not only all the 
faculties of the beast, which are lust 
and earthly mindedness, but the nature 
of the devil, wrath, pride, malice and am- 
bition, he is therefore three degrees w orse 
K % 



1H 



THE JOURNAL OF 



than a beast> till he is created anew in 
Christ Jesus : so that if I ranked him with 
the beasts* I set him above his place.* 
Then he burst out into anger : But I said, 
€ Sir, make use of that reason you speak 
of, and let me see you save yourself from 
anger/ At which he was ready to strike 
me ; and went away, leaving me, as he 
said, in my stupid condition. 

When I had got about ten miles farther 
into the country, another Dissenter came 
into the house, where I was at prayer 
with a poor man. When I had done, I 
exhorted him not to rest, till he was sure 
that the Lord Jesus had loved him, and 
washed him from his sins in his own blood. 
At which words, the dissenter spoke out* 
saying, f I hate to hear people talk of be- 
ing assured of any such thing, or of per- 
fection in this world.' I replied,' Is the 
Lord of life able to do what he came from 
heaven to do ?' He said, c What is that ? 
I answered, ' To destroy the works of the 
devil, to make an end of sin, and to bring 
in an everlasting righteousness.' He said, 
* Shall you make me believe that any man 
can live without committing sin.' I an* 
swered, ( I cannot tell whether I can make 
you believe it or not ; but this I can tell 
you, by the authority of God s word, that if 
you are not saved from your sins here, 
you must be damned.' Well, said he, I 
care not what you say ; for no man can 
live without committing sin one day .* f 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



115 



replied, ■ By your talk it is as necessary for 
a man to commit sin, as to eat ; for yon 
say, he cannot live without it. Now doth 
it keep his body or soul alive ? Or do you 
believe, that all mankind are to live in sin, 
and die without perfecting holiness in the 
fear of God, and so be damned without 
hope or help V He answered, ' No ; God 
forbid/ Then I said, ' You must be- 
lieve there is a purgatory to cleanse the 
souls in after death. Sir, you and the 
devil speak one language ; for he said to 
our mother Eve, * Did God say, in the da,y 
that ye eat thereof, ye shall die. Ye shall 
not die.' God saith, * The soul that sinneth, 
it shall die: But you say, ' The souls of 
all must continue in sin, and yet they shall 
not die ! He said, ' You shock me ; if 
things be as you say, what will become of 
th,e greatest part of mankind? 4 I replied, 
' Our Lord's word is, ' What is that to 
thee, follow thou me/ He said,/ J cannot 
but acknowledge, you have the scripture 
on your side. But if you are right, we 
are sadly wrong I never did hear one of 
you in my life ; for our Minister has warn- 
ed us not to hear you ; but I am determin- 
ed to hear you this night/ So he did, and 
thanked me kindly when I had done. 

At my return home, I was told, that they 
were going to press men for his Majesty's 
service, and that several of the ale-house- 
keepers and clergymen had agreed to 



116 



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press me for one. And I was advised not 
to preach for a season, by several of my 
neighbours. But told them, 1 durst not 
leave off preaching, for any thing that 
man could do unto me. They replied, 
c You should consider that you have a 
wife and children, and that your wife is 
now big with child ; and if ye>u be taken 
from them, what can the poor woman do,, 
or how must she provide for her chil- 
dren V I said, 6 Let God look to that : If 
wicked men be suffered to take away inv 
life, for calling sinners to the blood of 
Jesus ; the Lord, whose servant I am, 
will be a husband to the widow, and a fa- 
ther to the fatherless. And were I assur- 
ed, I should be banished or put to death 
for preaching, and my wife and children 
beg their bread bare foot, 1 dursi; not leave 
off' : for the words of our Lord pursue me, 
' Ke that loveth father or mother, wife or 
children, or his own life,, more than me, is 
not worthy of me ; and he that would save 
his life, shall lose it ; and he that will 
lose his life for my sake, shall save it. 
Therefore, pray for mc, but do not tempt, 
me to sin against my own "oul. 

A few days after I went to Pudsey ; but 
when I got there, the people of the house 
durst not let me preach ; they told me the 
cons; able had orders to press me, and de- 
sired me not to light, but go back directly, 
I rode down to a public house, where the 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



11? 



constable and some others met toge- 
ther, and talked with them ; and the peo- 
ple had said, he had orders to press me ;. 
but he said, ' I will not ; fer you do net ap- 
pear to be a vagrant, and my war rant runs 
tor none but vagrants.' Many of the peo- 
ple followed me into the lane, and I sat on 
horseback, exhorting them to keep close 
to God bj prayer, and the Lord would 
build the walls of Jerusalem, in these trou- 
blesome times. 

Soon after, I went to preach at Leeds. 
When 1 got there, I was told that two 
constables had orders to press me, if I 
preached that night. 1 said, ' If the peo- 
ple will venture to hear, I dare not but 
preach y and immediately I went to the 
place, where was a large congregation ga- 
thered together, to whom 1 preached % 
and a blessed season it was. The two 
constables ga r e great heed to w hat was 
spoken, and never offered to disturb me, 
or any one of the people ; but went away 
like men that feared God. 

I still kept hewing stone in the day 
time, and preaching every night. One day 
as 1 was at work, the same dissenting min- 
ister, that had stopped me one morning, 
came to me, and began to ask me many 
questions. He seemed offended with my 
answers, and said, he would have none of 
my ifs and buts. I answered, ' Sir, they are 
none of mine, they are the words of th© 



118 



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Lord Jesus ; and who is he, that dares put 
asunder what the Lord hath joined toge- 
ther ?' Then he replied, 'Do you think 
God would put you off, if you were to com- 
mit as great a sin as ever you committed 
in all your life ? I said * 1 believe I should 
thereby cut myself off from God ; for the 
prophet saith, * Your sins have separated 
between you and your God And God 
saith, c My people have committed two 
evils ; For they have forsaken me the 
fountain of living water, and have hewn 
out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns 
that will hold no water.' Now Sir, God 
would not have said, ' They have forsaken 
me,' if they had never been acquainted 
with hirn ; and 1 believe, that one of the 
cisterns which they hewed to themselves, 
was the opinion you have in your head, 
that sin will not separate the soul from 
God.' He said, ' You do not understand 
the nature of GoaVs decree : For God doth 
not look upon sin in the elect : He did not 
behold the iniquity in Jacob, nor see sin in 
Israel.' i said, c No sir, he did not, while 
Jacob was upright and God was his glory : 
At that time, God rejoiced over him, to do 
him good, with his whole heart, and his 
whole soul ; butwhen hecommitted whore- 
dom with the daughters of Moab and be- 
gan to bow to their idols, then God s anger 
was kindled against Israel, and he cut off 
twenty-four thousand of them hi his wrath, 



MR. JOHN NELSON". 



H0 



eren the very people whom Balaam had 
pronounced blessed/ 

Then his brother-in law, who was by 
him, began to curse and swear, and lifted 
up his stick, saying, he could find in his 
heart to knock me down, and called me a 
damned dog ; and said, ' Cans t thou have 
the impudence to talk so to a minister ? 
Thou deservest thy brains beat out/ l said, 
' Sir, here is ah evidence of what I said, 
for you can be angry with me for preach- 
ing righteousness by Jesus Christ, but you 
do not reprove this man for blaspheming 
the holy name of God/ Then they went 
away and left me to my w 7 ork/ 

A little time after, as I was at work, a 
man came to me, and said, he had called 
at a public house for a pint of ale, a little 
w ay from Birstal, and he Ireard the land- 
lord offer to lay five pounds with some that 
were drinking, that John Nelson would be 
sent for a soldier before ten days were 
past : I replied, ' The will of the Lord be 
done : If God permit it to be so, this also 
shall turn to the furtherance of the gos- 
pel/ He said, ' I would have you take 
care, for evil is determined against you/ 
I answered, f l am not my own, but the 
Lord's : He that lays hands on me, will 
burn his own fingers, and God will deliver 
me after he hath tried me/ 

Soon after as I was at my work at ano- 
ther place, three gentlemen came to me. 



1«0 



the Journal of 



and one of them began to speak strongly 
against perfection, i gave him no answer. 
Then another began to talk about build- 
ing ; and said, 6 Hewing of stone is a fine 
art.' I replied, * Sir, it was a fine art 
once, when there were eighty thousand to- 
gether, so skilled in the art, that every 
man's stones were perfectly fitted for the 
places they were to have in the temple be- 
fore they were brought off the moun- 
tain ; so that when they came to Jerusa- 
lem, there was not one stroke to strike at 
them, nor the sound of a tool heard in the 
building : Sir, you will allow those men 
to be workmen that needed not to be asha- 
med ; For their work was perfect before 
it came to Jerusalem/ The gentleman 
said, ' You are right, you are right ; I 
will never speak against holiness being 
perfected in this world again \ for certain- 
ly that house of God at Jerusalem, was a 
type of the house eternal til the hea- 
vens \ and every stone of that must be fit- 
ted perfectly for it's place in this world, 
or it must not be admitted into that New- 
Jerusalem. ' He added, ' I thank you ; and 
wish that our preachers may so square 
their work after the rules of God's word, 
that they may not be ashamed when they 
come to give up their accounts to him who 
is Lord of the work.' 

Wherever I went to preach, for ten 
days together, I was told that the consta- 
bles had orders to press me. My answer 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



121 



was, 'The will of the Lord be done ; for 
the fierceness of man shall turn to his 
praise.' 

On Friday, as I was hewing stone, it 
was in my mind, that trouble was near at 
hand ; but the words of Isaiah were a stay 
to me. * I even I am he that comfortetix 
you. Who art thou, that thou shouldst 
be afraid of mau that shall die, or of the 
son of man, which shall be made as grass.' 
And again it came to me, * Fear thou not, 
for I am with thee, be not dismayed, 
for 1 am thy God \ I will strengthen thee, 
yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold 
thee with the right hand of my righteous- 
ness. Behold, all they that are incensed 
against thee, shall be ashamed and con- 
founded, they shall be as nothing, and 
they that strive with thee shall perish. * 

At night I was met, as I was going to 
Adwalton, by one who told me, that the 
parson and alehouse-keepers had agreed to 
press me that night, and to send me away 
the next morning; for the commissioners 
were to sit at Halifax, and they would 
dispatch me before I could get any one to 
appear in my behalf. And she said, f I 
would have you turn back ; for there is one 
alehouse-keeper that swears he will press 
you, if his arm rots from his shoulder/ 
I answered, I cannot fear ; for God is on 
my side, and his word hath added strength 
to my soul this day. A&ci if I fall into tjie 



THE JOURNAL Of 



hands of wicked men, God shall be glorifi- 
ed thereby, and when he hath proved ma 
in the furnace, he will bring me forth as 
gold/ 

Accordingly I went to Adwalton, and 
expounded at John Booth's, to a well beha- 
ved congregation. When I had done, Jo- 
seph Gibson, the constable's deputy, (an 
alehouse-keeper, who found bis craft was 
in danger,) pressed me for a soldier. I ask- 
ed him by whose order ? He said, ' Several 
of the inhabitants of the town, who did not 
like so much preaching and by his own 
talk it appeared, they were those of his 
own craft, and the clergymen who had a- 
greed together. 

He caused me to go to the White-Heart, 
whither Mr. Charlesworth, and Mr. 
Holmes of Sikehouse, and several more 
went with us, and Mr. Charlesworth offer- 
ed 5001. bail for me till the next day But 
no bail was to be taken for a Methodist, 
(so called.) He protested I should go to 
his house. I made no resistance, but 
went, and several of our people with us ; 
and we sang a hymn and prayed together, 
and so parted. 

Next morning several people came to 
iee me before we went from Adwalton. 
Here I was kept ten hours before the war- 
rant came into his house : when the con- 
stable came, he said, ( If he had been there. 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



123 



i he would have prevented what Gibson 
had done.* 

Between eight and nine I went to Bir- 
stal, to my house ; and after 1 had chang- 
ed my clothes, we set out for Halifax. 

! When I was brought before the commissi- 
oners, they smiled at one another, as soon 
as they saw me. They bid the door-keepers 
n,t to let any man come in ; but Mr. Tho- 
mas Brooks had got in with me ; and they 
said, ' That is one of his converts.' Then 
they called Joseph Gibson, and asked how 
many men he had brought V He said, 
I One/ < Well, and what have you against 
him V ' Why, gentlemen,' said he, ' I have 
nothing against him, but he preaches to 
the people ; and some of our townsmen 
don't like so much preaching ' They broke 
out in laughter \ and one of them swore, 
I was fit to go for a soldier, for there I 
might have preaching enough. I said to 
him, ( Sir, you ought not to swear/ * Well, 
said they to me, you have no license to 
preach, and you shall go for a soldier/ I 
answered, ( Sir, I have surely as much 
right to preach, as you have to swear/ 
He said to the captain, * captain, is he fit 
for you ?' ' Yes/ he answered ; ' Then 
take him away/ 

But I said, ' Here are several of my ho- 
nest neighbours ; you ought to give me the 
liberty of another man, and hear what they 
say of me, whether I am such a one us the 



124 THE JOURNAL 09 

warrant mentions, or no.' They answer- 
ed, f Here is your minister, (one of the 
commissioners,) and he hath told us of 
your character, and we will hear no more. 
So I found I was comdemned before the 
commissioners saw me. 

Then Mr Brooks laid the petitions be- 
fore them, sent me by neighbouring gen- 
tlemen, which testified I had done no evil, 
but had behaved myself well in the neigh- 
bourhood, and had always maintained my 
family very weil : and they desired them 
to set me at liberty. And Mr. Brooks said,. 
' Gentlemen, you see he is not such a man 
as is mentioned in the warrant.' But 
they bade him hold his peace, and said, 
You are one of his pupils, and ought to 
go with him.' He answered, ' Why do 
you not send me then ? for you have as 
much right to send me as him.' 

Then our minister spoke and said, 
' Young Brooks lives with a woman of 
the worst character in our town,' When 
1 heard him speak against his neighbour, 
such notorious falsehoods as these, I 
thought it would be to no purpose for Mr. 
Brooks to say any more ; so I desired him 
to be silent. Then they read the papera 
sent on my behalf ; and one of the com- 
pany asked, if he must put them on the 
file ? But the answer to him by several 
was, * No, for if they be* called for, they 
will make against us/ 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



6 So, said I, gentlemen, I see there is 
neither law nor justice for a man that is 
called a Methodist ; but all is lawful that 
is done against me. I pray God forgive 
you, for you know not what you do.' They 
answered, * Surely your minister must 
be a better judge of you than any other 
man ; and he hath told us enough of yoif 
and your preaching,' * Well, said I, Mr. 
C — , What do you know of me that i& 
evil ? Whom have I defrauded I Or where 
have I contracted a debt that I cannot 
pay?' He said, ' You have no visible way 
of getting your living • I answered, 4 1 
am as able to get my living with my hand& 
as any man of my trade in England is, and 
3'ou know it : and have I not been at work 
yesterday, and all the week before.' But 
they bade the captain take me away ; so 
he came, and said f ' We will take you off 
preaching soon/ I answered, * You must 
first ask my masters leave.' But he said, 
' We will makeyou give over/ I replied, 
' It is out of your power.' Then he thrust 
me into a corner of the room, and said, 
* You shall have company presently y 

Afterwards several were brought to the 
commissioners, and three condemned to 
go wiu me, and four or five acquitted. 
But a! bad their neighbours to speak for 
them, except me ; for what need was 
there of any other witness ? 

L 2 



126 



the journal of 



Glory be to God on high ! He kept my 
soul all this time in perfect peace ; and I 
could say to him, from my heart, — 

Whilst thou, O my God, art nigh, 

My soul disdains to fear ; 
Sin and Satan I defy, 

Still im potently near : 
Earth and hell their wars may wage, 
Calm I mark: their vain design, 
Smile to see them idly rage, 

Against a child of thine. 

Then the captain read the articles to 
us that were condemned, and said, * You 
hear your doom is death, if you disobey 
us.' I answered, ' 1 do not fear the man 
that can kill me, any mare than I do him 
who can cut down a dog standard. For I 
know my life is hid with Christ in God ; 
and he will judge between you and me 
one day ; but I beseech him not to lay this 
sin to your charge.' And to Mr. C — , I 
said,* Sir, I pray God forgive you, foryoti 
have given me such a character, as not 
another man in England will, that knows 
me/ 

I was greatly surprised to see men sit 
on the judgment seat, and drink and swear 
as they did ; and a man that had a com- 
mission from God to reprove all that do 
such things, could hear and see, and yet 
never speak in X^od's cause. It made me 
cry out to the Lord, ' Take the matter in 



MR JOHN NELSON. 



tnine own hand, O God, for righteousness 
is fallen in the streets, and iniquity bears 
rule.' But! could not hear them swear, 
but must I speak to them> although they 
mocked my reproof. 

Then we were guarded to Halifax ; but 
the keeper would not let us come into his 
jail. We were then taken to the officer s 
quarters, and kept till six at night ; where 
John Rhodes and Thomas Charlesworth, 
of Little Gummersall, came to see me, 
and cared for my soul, as if they had been 
my mother's sons. O, my God, remem- 
ber them for good, and give them and 
their houses, and all that wish well to our 
Sion, to rejoice in the gladness of thy peo- 
ple ! 

' At six we set out for Bradfortb, and 
many of the inhabitants of Halifax prayed 
forme, and wept to see me in the hands 
of unrighteous and cruel men. But 1 gaid 5 
4 Fear not, God hath his way in the whirl- 
wind, and he will plead my cause — Only 
pray for me, that my faith fail not- 3 

When we were about half way between 
Halifax and Bradforth, one of the soldiers 
said to me, * Sir, I am sorry for you ; for 
the captain is ordered by the commission- 
ers to put you in the dungeon— But I will 
speak to him, and if he will let me have 
the care of you, you shall lie with me, 
for the dungeon is as loathsome a place as 
I ever saw/ I thanked him for his offer. 



THE JOUR.KAL OF 



But when we got to Bradforth, we were 
drawn up in the street where the cross 
stood, and the captain went and fetched 
the people of the dungeon, and said, 
'Take this man, and put him into the 
dungeon : And take this other along with 
you. — (A poor harmless man, all the 
clothes upon whose back were not worth 
one shilling ; neither did they lay any 
thing to his charge, when he was ordered 
for a soldier.) 

But when we came to the dungeon door, 
the soldier who spoke to me by the way, 
went to the captain, and said, * Sir, if 
you will give me charge over Mr. Nelson, 
my life lor his, he shall be forth-coming 
in the morning." But the captain threat- 
ened to break his head, if he spoke about 
me any more. 

The captain came to us before I went 
down, and I asked him, ' Sir, what have 
I done, that 1 must go to the dungeon ? If 
you are afraid of me, that I should run 
away, set a guard over me in a room, and 
I will pay them/ He answered, ' My or- 
der is to put you in the dungeon/ So I 
see my Lord*'s word is fulfilled, • The ser- 
vant is not above his master/ F$r those, 
who were accused of thieving, and great 
evils which they had done in the neigh- 
bourhood, must eat and drink, and lie on 
feather beds; but I only desired a little 
water, and it was refused me by the cap- 



MR. JOHN NELSON, 



tain, although I had nothing all day ex- 
cept a little tea in the morning.. But my 
Master never sends his servants a warfare 
at their own charge : He gives strength ac- 
cording to our day. For, when i came 
into the dungeon, that stunk: worse than 
a hog-stye or little house, by reason of the 
blood and filth, which sink: from the but- 
chers who kill over it, my soul was so fill- 
ed with the love of God, that it was a pa- 
radise to me. 

Then could I cry out, O the glorious li- 
berty of the sons of God ! And 1 fell down 
on my knees, and gave God thanks, that 
he counted me worthy to be put in a dun- 
geon for truth's sake and prayed that my 
enemies might be saved from the wrath to 
come, I think, with as much desire as I 
cculd feel for my own mother's children. 
I wished they were as happy in their own 
houses as I was in the dungeon. 

About ten, several of the people came 
to the dungeon-door, and brought me some 
candles, and put me some meat and water 
in through the hole of the door. When I 
had eat and drank, I gave God thanks 
and we sang hymns almost all night, they 
without, and 1 within. 

The same night a man that lives in 
Bradforth, came to the dungeon, and tho' 
he was an enemy to the Methodists, when 
he smelt the ill savour of the place, he- 
said, 'Humanity moves me ; ; ' he went 



130 



THE JOURNAL Of 



away directly, and about eleven came 
again, and said, " I will assure you I am 
not in your way of thinking ; but for all 
that I have been with your captain, and 
offered ten pounds bail for you, and my- 
self as prisoner, if he would let you lie in 
a bed, but all in vain, for I can get nothing 
of him but bad words. If the justice were 
in town, I would have gone to him, and 
would soon have fetch'd you out : But since 
it is as it is, I pray God plead your cause.' 
O my God, let not him that would give a 
cup of cold water to thy servants, lose his 
reward : but do thou bless him, and bless 
thy people : and 1 beseech thee to have 
mercy on our enemies, and let not thy 
heavy judgments fall upon them; but be 
thou glorified in their conversion, not in 
their destruction ! 

The poor man that was with me, might 
have starved, if my friends had not 
brought him meat; For when they had 
locked us up. they went to their lodging, 
and took no more thought of us that night. 
Here we had not so much as a stone to sit 
on. 

When the man and I were laid down in 
a little stinking straw, ' Pray you, Sir, 
(said he,) are all these your kinsfolk, that 
they love you so well? I think they are 
the most loving people that ever I saw in 
my life/ I answered, ' By this you may 
know that they are Jesus Christ * disciples ; 



Itft, JOHN NELSON. 



for this is the mark he himself has gi- 
ven, whereby all men might know his dis- 
ciples from the unbelieving world.' 

At four in the morning, my wife and 
several more came to the dungeon, and 
spoke to me through the hole of the door ; 
anci I said, * Jeremiah's lot is fallen upon 
me/ Then it came to my remembrance, 
that when 1 was about thirteen or fourteen 
years old, I often thought if God would 
make me like Jeremiah, to stand and speak 
his words to the people in the streets, as 
he did, I should not mind who cast dirt at 
me. And now I am in some measure, 
v treated as he was, for persuading men to 
flee from the wrath to come. 

My wife said, * Fear not , the cause in 
is God s, for which you are here, and he 
will plead it himself. Therefore be not 
concerned about me and the children : For 
lie that feeds the young ravens will be 
mindful of us. He will give you strength 
for your day ; and after we have suffered 
awhile, he will perfect that which is lack- 
ing in our souls, and then bring us where 
the wicked cease from troubling, and 
where the weary are at rest.' 

So they all said that were with her at 
the door. I was greatly refreshed at find- 
ing my wife so strong in faith, when she 
was like to be left with two children, and 
big with another at the same time: and 
*aid, 4 I cannot fear either man or devil., 



133 



THE JOURNAL OF 



so long as I find the love of God as I do 
now; for he has cheered my heart as with 
sweet wine, ever since he suffered me to 
be cast into prison- O that I may be faith- 
ful unto death, and I shall receive the 
&ro\vn of life ! For not one word of Jesus 
shall fall to the ground till all be accem- 
plished.' 

About five in the morning they took me 
out, and we were guarded to Leeds, and 
stood in the street till ten. Hundreds 
flocked to see me. Some said, 'It is a 
shame to send a man for a soldier for 
speaking the truth for many of our neigh- 
bours that follow the Methodists, and 
were as wicked before as any people in the 
town, are now like new creatures ; for 
we don't hear an ill word come out of their 
mouths. " Others cried, 1 I wish they were 
all hanged out of the way, for they make 
people go mad : and we cannot get drunk 
or swear, but every fool must correct us, 
as if we were to be taught by them. But I 
hope they will be brought to nought, for 
that is one of the worst of them.' 

As I was standing, a jolly well dressed 
woman came up to me, and put her face 
almost to mine, and said, 6 Now, Kelson, 
where is thy God ? thou saidest at Shents 
door, as thou wast preaching, thou wast 
no more afraid of his promise failing, than 
thou wast of dropping through the heart 
of the earth.' I replied, ' Look in the 



MR » JOHN NELSON. 



133 



7th chapter of Micah, and the 8th and 10th 
verses.' 

Just as the church began, I was guard- 
ed to the jail, and the others ordered to 
the ale house. The jail-keeper here was 
very civil ; for he let my friends come in 
several times to see me. i thought of the 
Pilgrim's Progress : For hundreds of peo- 
ple in the street stood and looked at me 
through the iron-grate, and were ready 
to fight about me. Several would have 
given bail for me, if they would let me 
out ; but I was told that one hundred 
pounds were refused, which were offered 
by a stranger for me. 1 am too notorious 
a criminal to be allowed such favours ; for 
Christianity is a crime- which the world 
can never forgive. 

At night, 1 believe, a hundred of our 
friends were with me in the jail together. 
We sang ahyrnn, and prayed. I gave an 
exhortation, and parted. But Mr. Pi. 
was not willing that 1 should lay on stink- 
ing straw, and sent me a bed to lie on. I 
find the time is not yet come for me to be 
hated of all men for the sake of Christ. I 
pray God to give me strength for that day ! 
Glory be to his holy name, hitherto his 
grace is sufficient for me, and I hang up- 
on his promise for strength in my next 
trial. 

At five on Monday morning, I was let 
out of jail, and we marched off for York 
M 



13-1 



THE JOURNAL OF 



directly ; many of our friends went with 
us out of the town near three miles but 
when I came to take my leave, they mourn- 
ed as one that had lost his first bom. I 
spoke comfortable words to them, and 
bade them, ' stand fast, in nothing terri- 
fied by your adversaries ; which is to them 
an evident token of perdition, but to you 
of salvation, and that of God. So the 
peace of God be with you all. We came 
to York by three, and were brought be- 
fore several of the officers, at the Black. 
Swan, in Coney-street, who seemed to re- 
joice as men that had taken great spoil, 
and saluted me with many a grievous 
oath. It brought something to my mind, 
which I had spoken in the fields to the 
Lord, when he had broken a great cloud 
that was on my soul, through my refu- 
sing to preach when many desired me, and 
I had time, but consulted with flesh and 
blood, and Jonah like, fled from the pre- 
sence of the Lord, down into a valley 
near the side of a wood, where God laid 
his hand on me, and brought my soul in- 
to such distress, that I threw myself on 
the ground and requested for death; see- 
ing it more agreeable to flesh and blood, 
to be a shepherd's dog than a preacher of 
the gospel ; for his hand is against every 
man, and every man's hand against him. 
But at the remembrance of the prophets 
and the apostles, and Christ himself, what 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



135 



contradictions, and tribulations they all 
met with, the cloud bioke, and my soul 
was so refreshed with the love of God, 
that I cried out, ' My Lord and my God i 
^Now thou hast given me strength, forsake 
me not ; and if thou send me to hell to 
preach to devils, I am ready to go/ 

When I was before these officers, and 
heard such language, I thought hell could 
not be much worse than the company 1 was 
in. I asked them, ' Do you believe there 
is a God, and that he is a God of truth ?' 
They said, ' We do/ I answered, « I 
cannot believe you, I tell you plainly/ 
' Why so }' I replied, f l cannot think that 

if any man of common understanding, who 
believes that God is true, dares take his 
name in vain ; much less do you believe 
that God can hear you, when you pray 

I him to damn your souls. Now suppose 
God should grant you the damnation j^ou 
pray for, what miserable wretches would 
you be ? Do you know that you must one 
day appear before that God, who will not 
hold him guiltless that taketh his name in 
vain/ 

As I reasoned with them about a future 
state, they seemed to shrink as if I had 
thrown fire at them ; but they soon put 
away the conviction, and said, * You must 
not preach here, for you are delivered to 
us for a soldier ' and must not talk so to 
us that are officers- ' I answered, g There 



136 



THE JOURNAL Ot 



is but one way to prevent me.' They ask- 
ed, 4 What is that.' i replied, f It is to 
swear no more in my bearing/ 

Then we were guarded through the ci- 
ty ; but it was as if hell were moved from 
beneath to meet me at my coming. The 
streets and windows were filled with peo- 
ple who shouted ant? huzzaed, as if i had 
been one that had laid waste the nation. 
But the Lord made my brow like brass, 
so that I could look on them as grasshop- 
pers, and pass through the city as if there 
had been none in it, but God and myself. — 

that I may never offend my gracious 
God, or provoke him to take his loving 
kindness from me ! — Then, though I go 
through tire valley of the shadow of death, 

1 will fear no evil. Even now I find his- 
word fulfilled, where he saith, * I will de- 
liver thee from sudden fear, and from ter- 
ror ; for it shall not come near thee/ Veri- 
ly, thou art a God of truth ! O be merci- 
ful to this great city, whose streets ring 
with curses, and turn upon them a pure 
language, that their souls may be saved, 
and the enemy disappointed of his hope ! 

J was brought to the guard-house, and the 
officers east lots for me, and it was Cap- 
tain S — — 's lot to have me. Then they 
offered me money, but I refused to take it ; 
and they bade the Serjeant hand-cufi me, 
aud send me to prison. 1 was guarded 
thither by a file of musqueteers, but not 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



137 



hand-cuffed, and kept two nights and 
part of three days ; during which time, 
I was beset with such eursers and swear- 
ers, as could hardly be matched out of 
hell. So I had work enough both day 
and night to reprove them. I found they 
could not stand my words, but the most 
hardened among them shrunk, and wished 
they could leave it off, and never swear 
more. 

Several of the town's people came and 
asked me of the doctrine that the Metho- 
dists preached, which makes their names, 
said they, to be loathed by all sects and 
4 parties in the nation. My answer was, 
'The same doctrine it is, which made 
Jews and Gentiles conspire against Jesus 
Christ, who first preached it ; and whoe- 
ver he be, that bears the same testimony, 
must meet with the same treatment. Our 
Lord hath said. 'Ye shall be hated of all 
men for my sake/ And again, 'If they 
have persecuted me, they will also perse- 
cute you/ What ! Do you think Christ 
would be found a liar, and all his apostles, 
who told us of the things that are done in 
this our day ! Nay, verily, heaven and 
earth shall pass away, but not one word 
of Christ's shall fall to the Ground/ 

When I had opened' the scriptures, and 
told them the fundamental points of our 
doctrine, they said one to another, 'This 
people is not what the world represent* 
M % 



138 



THE JOURNAL OF 



them ; for if this be their doctrine, there 
is not a man in England can contradict 
them/ They offered me strong drink, 
but I told them I did not chuse it, wished 
me out of my enemies hands, and left me 
to my company of drunkards and swear- 
ers. 

I may indeed say, I have fought with 
beasts at York, for so these men live ; 
yet my speaking to them was not in vain , 
for they bridled their tongues in my pre- 
sence after the first £4 hours. When they 
spake any blasphemous words, if I did 
but turn, and look them in the face, they . 
looked like criminals before the magis- £ 
trate. 

The next morning I lay on the boards 
to rest me, and fell asleep, when I dreamt 
of Daniel in the lion's den ; I was awaken- 
ed by one crying, ' Nelson ! Nelson / and ▼ 
I started up, saving, ' Who wants me V 
That instant, three women came to the 
door, and brought me some food. They 
were entire strangers to me, and I to 
them ; s But thou, Lord, c.arest for me/ 

On Tuesday night, my wife and sister j 
Mitchel came to see me, and found me ly- 
ing on the boards. I said, 'Behold the 
fruits of the gospel : Now you see the 
word of God is fulfilled, ' They lay a snare 
for him that reproveth in the gate, and he 
that turneth from evil, maketh himself 
a prey/ But God looks down from hea- 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



159 



ven, and will plead our cause ; fear not/ 
No, answered they, we do not fear ; for 
our God is as able to deliver now, as he 
was 1700 years ago/ So they took their 
leave of me that night, wishing me a good 
repose on my wooden bed ; where, thanks 
be to God, 1 slept as well as if I had been 
on a bed of down. 

Next morning they brought me some- 
thing to eat, and bade me be strong in 
the Lord, and not fear them that can kill 
the body only. My heart rejoiced to see 
them so stedfast in the faith. 

This day a court martial was held, and 
I was guarded to it by a file of musque- 
teers, with their bayonets fixed. When 
1 came before the court, they asked, 'What 
is this man's crime ?' The answer was, 
1 This is the Methodist Preacher, and he 
refuses to take money/ Then they turned 
to me, and said, 4 Sir, you need not find 
fault with us, for we must obey our or- 
ders, which are to make you act as a sol- 
dier ; for you are delivered to us, and if 
you have not justice done you, we cannot 
help it/ 

My answer was, ' I shall not fight ; for 
1 cannot bow my knee before the Lord, to 
pray for a man. and get up and kill him 
when I have done ; for I know God both 
hears me speak and sees me act, and 1 
should expect the lot of a hypocrite, if my 
actions contradict my prayers/ * Well, 



140 



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don't stand preaching to us, said they, for 
we must make you obey us ; Serjeant, 
give him some money/ He offered me 
two shillings, but I refused to take it. 
They threatened me sore, but I could not 
fear them at all. ' Well, (said they) if 
you run away, you are as liable to suffer 
as if you had taken our money.' 1 answer- 
ed, ' If I cannot be discharged lawfully, I 
shall not run away ; if I do, punish me as 
you please/ Then they ordered the Ser- 
jeant to go to quarters with me : W ho 
took me to the Wild-man, in Petergate, 
where the people behaved well to me, 
though they had eight more quartered up- 
on them. They said, ( It is a pity you 
should come among such a wicked crew 
as these we have, for there are but few 
like them in the world.' They ordered 
me a room and a bed to myself. Blessed' 
be God, who gives me favour in the sight 
of the Egyptians. These people were pro- 
fessed Papists, who, I might imagine, 
would shew no more mercy to a man that 
preaches salvation by faith, than they 
would do to a mad dog, yet I see it is not 
the man that makes the christian, but the 
mind which was in Christ, and whoso- 
ever hath this mind in him, he is a chris- 
tian, let the world call him what they 
will. 

I came to Margaret Townshend's, and 
met with my wile, and sister Mitchel, 



MR. JO.HN NELSON. t$i 

who rejoiced to see my feet once more out 
of the prison. We sang praises to God 
for his great mercies to me at this time, 
and passed the afternoon in encouraging 
each other. Next morning 1 sent them 
out of town, and went, as i was ordered, 
to parade at the Blue Boar, in Cast-legate - f 
where the officers ordered corporal W — • 
to fetch me. a gun and other warlike in- 
struments, and though he seemed to shud- 
der at the task, he was forced to obey ; 
and when he brought them, and was gird- 
ing them about me, he trembled as if he 
had the palsy. 

I asked, * Why do you gird me with 
these warlike habiliments, for I am a man 
averse to war, and shall not fight, but un- 
der the Prince of Peace, the" Captain of 
my salvation ; and the weapons he gives 
me are not carnal like these/ Well, (said 
they,) but you must bear these, till you 
can get your discharge/ As you put them 
on me, I answered, I will bear them as a 
cross, and use them as far as I can, with- 
out defiling my conscience ; but that I will 
not do for any man on earth.' 

The ollicers bade them march us off to 
Hep worth moor, to learn the exercise of a 
soldier : But Corporal W — seemed as ten- 
der to me as if he had been my own fa- 
ther, and carried the gun for me to the 
field. And when he came to teach me 
their exercise, his heart seemed to fail 



us 



THE JOURNAL OF 



him, and he bade me lay down the gun, 
and we fell into discourse I found he had 
the fear of God before his eyes, and the 
Lord had shewn him the light of his coun- 
tenance. But he was as a sparrow alone 
on toe house top, none cared for his con- 
versation ; but they ail despised him, be- 
cause he would not get drunk and swear 
as they did O, my God, remember him 
for good always,, I beseech thee. 

Next clay i was ordered to the fields 
and others must teach me the warlike ex- 
ercise, who also behaved civilly to me. I 
had more to see me than all the rest, and 
it caused the truth to break out the more, 
and removed prejudice from many. I 
lound the people at York looked upon one 
that is called a Methodist, as one who had 
the plague and infects all whom he comes 
near, and they blessed God, that none had 
come to preach there. 

But if 1 was bound, the word of God 
was not bound, for if any blasphemed, I 
reproved them, whether rich or poor, and 
fell into many disputes with them, and 
God gave me words, such as they could 
not resist. My discourses had such an 
e fleet on them, that they said, they wish- 
ed Mr. Wesley would come and preach 
there. I gave them several of our little 
books, so by hearing and reading, they 
found out the doctrine to be only the plain 
word of God. And now several attended 



MR. JOHN NE1SON. 



143 



my coming to the field, not to see me as 
before, but to ask questions, and to know 
of the new doctrine, (as some were pleas- 
ed to call it.) Surely by all these things 
shall the gospel be spread The Lord is 
in the tempest, and it shall turn to his glo- 
ry : Satan doth but whet a knife to cut his 
own throat. 

One day as I was talking to the people, 
a man came and feigned himself to be con- 
cerned about his soul. As he was coming, 
it was impressed upon my mind, that he 
was a deceiver. As soon as he approach- 
ed, I said, ' You are a wicked man, and 
satan hath sent you with a lie in your 
mouth, but God will not be mocked * He 
went away as one condemned. Before he 
had gone one hundred yards, he fell down 
and broke a limb, and dislocated his 
shoulder ; then he roared like a bear, 
saying, * It is a just judgment from God 
on me ; and desired me to pray for him/ 

On Sunday the 13th, I went to Coney- 
street church, and the Lord manifested 
himself to me in great love at the sacra- 
ment. At night Hannah Scholefield and 
I, and our brother Haughton, from Man- 
chester, with two or three more, went 
out into the fields, thinking to retire : 
But some had seen us, and told others that 
we were gone to sing hymns, /n a few 
minutes we had near a hundred to keep 
us company. We sang two hymns, and 



144 



THE JOURNAL OF 



I gave them an exhortation : They re- 
ceived my word with meekness, and wish- 
ed to hear me again. 

We went a mile another way; but there 
were people walking there also, who knew 
me, and flocked to us, and desired to hear 
what sort of doctrine it is we preach, 
which causes all men to hate us, I said, 
"It is the doctrine of Jesus Christ, which 
made all men hate him ; and ye are sen- 
Bible our great Shepherd said, "Ye shall 
be hated of all men for my sake.* But 
they said, ' This is a christian land, and 
it is not so now/ ( Well said I, then you 
must say the gospel is not an everlasting 
gospel, or you declare us blest, and almost 
all the people in England curst.' They 
said, 'What, do you point the blessings to 
you, and the curse to all the rest ? We 
think it is the other way/ Then said I, 
you do not think as Christ spake ; for he 
said, 'Blessed are ye, when all men speak 
evil of you, and hate you for my sake, and 
the gospeFs : Rejoice, and be exceeding 
glad, for so they did to the prophets of 
old. But woe unto you when all men 
speak well of you; for so they spake of 
the false prophets.' Upon this they were 
silent, but wished they could hear me 
themselves, then they could judge better. 
By this time a great company were come 
together, desiring to hear me, and God 
gave me to speak plain, and to their 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



145 



hearts. When I had done, several of 
them said, they would go ten miles to hear 
such another discourse. The prejudice 
seemed taken out of their minds at a 
stroke ; and they cried, 'This is the doc- 
trine which ought to be preached, let men 
say what they will against it/ 

As we came back, one of our company 
said, 'I wonder the devil cannot perceive, 
that this striving to suppress the gospel ia 
still striving to quench the fire by casting 
oil into it. As God spake, so it is I see 
this day. His servants are like brands 
of fire cast in^o dry stubble. Surely God 
will be glorified in your captivity ; only let 
us watch and pray, that the enemy get no 
advantage over us/ 

The day following I went as before, to 
exercise, when many came to talk with 
me, some to dispute, and some who ear- 
nestly desired to be saved. Among the 
disputers was a clergyman ; I knew him, 
for I had seen him in hia gown three days . 
before. When several who appeared as 
gentlemen, disputed hotly against all the 
power of religion, I shewed them from 
the articles, homilies, and prayers of our 
own church, that those who spake as'they 
did, were no members of the church of 
England. For to be a real member of 
Christ's church, is to feel Christ in us ; to 
know that he died for his church, and 
that by his death we are delivered from 
' £ N 



146 THE JOURNAL OF 

death eternal. To find that spirit which 
raised him from the dead, raising us from 
the death of sin, that our bodies may be 
the undefiied temple of the living God, a 
holy habitation of God, through his spirit 
dwelling in us. For as many as have the 
spirit of God, they are the sons of God ; 
and if any man have not the spirit of 
Christ, he is none of his. Nay, if you 
know not, (I added,) that Christ is in 
you, you are now in a state of reprobation. 5 
* So, said they, you have condemned us 
all at a stroke. 1 answered, 4 I have con- 
demned no man ; for I have not spoken 
my own, but the words of God, as I appeal 
to your consciences, yon that have ever 
read them.' 

When they were put to silence, the 
minister began to explain the spirit of God 
out of the world ; as what could not be 
felt or perceived at all, neither was it ne- 
cessary, now we had the scriptures to go 
by. I said, ' It is highly necessary, if the 
scriptures be true for they tell me, if I 
have not the spirit of Christ, I am none of 
lis ; and if I am not his, I must belong to 
he devil ; for they two share the world 
>etween them. Besides, if there be no 
uch thing as receiving the holy spirit now 
i-days, as you say, then he who repeats the 
trayers of the church, offers to God the sa- 
ri fice of fools.' Here he stormed at me, 
nd called me an enthusiast, and said, 



MR. JOHN NELSON*. 



Ml 



e To talk of the spirit is all a delusion.' 
* Hold, sir, I replied, or I shall expose you 
before the people, which 1 did not design 
to do. How could you affirm, before God 
and the congregation, that you were in- 
wardly moved by the holy spirit to take 
upon you the office of a deacon ; and now 
testify there is no such thing as being mo v- 
ed by the holy spirit ?' He said ( Did 
I say so ?' ' Yes, sir, I answered, you did 
when you received holy orders.' He turn- 
ed pale, spake not ten words more, but 
went away; 1 have met him several times 
since, and he speaks kindly to me. 

I had some every day to dispute with 
me ; and every night some to converse 
with me, and wanted to know the way to 
jSion. The people now cried out, ' When 
will Mr. Wesley come ? for here are thou- 
sands in this town would gladly hear him.* 
Indeed 1 found a great desire in them to 
know the way of salvation ; yea, and they 
seemed willing to be saved in God's own 
way ; that is, from their sins, not in them. 
Surely the Lord will be mindful of them, 
and give them teachers after his own 
heart. 

The second Sunday I went to church 
and my heart was comforted again by the 
love of God in the sacrament. God, I find 
will meet us in his own ways ; O may we 
never forsake them ! 

This week several of the brethren came 



14S THE JOURNAL OF 

to see me, and we were comforted toge- 
ther. Our brother Ash brought me some 
little books, which I gave to the people 
who came to see me: So that by my speak- 
ing, and their reading, many began to be 
alarmed, and sent for me to their houses 
to enquire f . How can these things be, 
which you affirm ? For if these things are 
as you say, and Mr. Wesley has here writ- 
ten, then we are not Christians/ I told 
them, 6 I will prove those things to be true, 
both from our own church and the writ- 
ten word of God And if you find you 
have not these inward marks of faith, 
euch as peace, joy, love, and the witness 
of the spirit, you are no christians yet ; but 
that is no reason why you should not be- 
come such. For Christ has commanded 
repentance and remission of sins to be 
preached to every soul in his name ; and 
he doth actually pardon and absolve all 
them that truly repent, and unfeignedly 
believe his holy gospeL Therefore seek 
and you shall find ; for the truth of God 
binds him to give to every one that ask- 
eth.' 

The people attended my going into the 
field all this w eek ; and when I went along 
the streets they came out of their houses 
io stare at me, as if I had been a monster* 
I have read that they would not suffer any 
to buy or sell in the city, unless they had 
the mark of the beast ; but here, without 



MR. JOHN NELSON, 



his mark, we cannot so much as pass the 
streets O my God, why is thy servant as 
a speckled bird in this which is called a 
christian country, called after thy most 
sacred name ; which whosoever nameth 
must depart from iniquity ? How is the 
faithful city become a harlot, and thy peo- 
ple taken captive by the enemy at his 
will ! It is time for thee, Lord, to lay to 
thine hand, for they have destroyed thy 
law ! 

One day this week after my exercise on 
the Moor, there came agentleman in gold 
lace, and a minister in disguise, and be- 
gan asking me questions ; w hich ! answer- 
ed according to the ability God gave me. 
Many flocked round about us to hear, for 
our dispute was long, and hot on their 
side, I believe we had talked half an 
hour before 1 perceived he was a mini- 
ster ; for I took him for a lawyer, and 
such a one as believed there was no God : 
for if I spake of the scripture, he threw up 
his head, and called me fool, and bade me 
hold my nonsense. I said, ' That which 
you call nonsense, I call the highest wis- 
dom/ When I spake any thing of the 
spirit of God, he heaved his cane at me, 
as if he would have struck me. But God 
gave me perfect peace in my soul, and 
words which made him start, and convinc- 
ed the bye-standers of the truth. He was 



no 



THE JOURNAL OF 



so enraged, that he foamed at the mouth 
like a horse that is hard rid. 

But when L understood that he was a 
minister, ' I said, f Hold, sir, let me speak 
a little by your leave. You call yourself 
a minister of the church of England, do 
you not ?' 'I do.' ' Pray then, Sir, what 
doctrine do you preach ? for you make the 
word of God of none effect, and you deny 
all inspiration.'* He replied, 44 So I do deny 
all inspiration ' e How dare you then pray 
for the inspiration of God's spirit, when 
you do not believe there is any such thing V 
When he had raged awhile, he'&aid, 4 I 
believe you have read the book of Job, 
and made it all your own/ ' I answered, 
I have need of patience, who have men of 
such principles as you to talk with, that 
regard not what they say to provoke one ; 
but 1 thank God, you have not done it 
yet.' He replied, * My reason for speak- 
ing so is, because you cannot be quiet with 
your nonsense and inspiration. And I 
hear you have preached several times since 
you came, and have filled the heads of 
many in this town v/ith your new doctrine/ 
I told him, 4 I had not preached publickly 
since I came, but did not know how soon 
I might/ Then he shook his stick, stampt 
and said in anger, 4 If you do preach pub- 
lickly, we shall take an order with you, 
which shall be worse than sending you for a 
soldier. 4 Let God look to that, 1 answer- 
ed, for by his grace I can love all men, but 



MR. JOHN NELSON. ISi 

fear none that can kill the body only. I 
assure yGu, it is not the tear of man which 
shall hinder me from preaching ; for where 
the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 1 
When he began to calm a little, I asked 
him, ( Sir, suppose you had been inwardly 
moved by the Holy Spirit to preach the 
gospel ; if the outward ordination were 
refused you, when you believed yourself 
called according to the will of Christ to 
preach, would you forbear preaching ? 
that is, would you obey man or God ?' 4 I 
suppose, said he, you think you have put a 
hard question to me/ But hard or easy, 
he never answered it ; and I cannot re- 
member I e rer saw him since. Just as he 
went away, he challenged me to go into a 
room with him ; but I said, * I have done 
fighting, Sir/ 

On Saturday, several desired me to 
preach on Sunday morning. 1 told them 
I should take a walk out to the Moor, at 
half an hour after seven. Accordingly I 
did so, and found thrice as many as 1 ex- 
pected, and preached to about three hun- 
dred well behaved people, who intreated 
me to preach to them at night. I answer- 
ed some of them, I did not know but I 
might. Yet 1 gave no public notice ; but 
one told another, and it spread through 
the city. 

I went to the minster, and heard the 
bishop preach, and received the blessed 



152 



TH3 JOURNAL OF 



sacrament athis hands. At seven in the 
evening, I went to the Moor, and found an 
unexpected congregation, I believe six 
thousand people. But there was nothing 
prepared for me to stand on, and great part 
of the soldiers were there almost drunk, 
and began to quarrel with the people that 
crowded me • So that I saw there was 
likely to be mischief done, and prevented 
it by withdrawing. If I had preached, I 
Relieve they would have behaved very qui- 
etly, for they seemed to have a great de- 
sire to hear what this doctrine was. I 
had not the opportunity of satisfying them 
at this time ; but they that heard in the 
morning, told others, and inflamed them 
the more with a desire to hear for them- 
selves. Several sent for me to their hous- 
es, and others came to me : So 1 see God 
will work, and who shall hinder ? Lord, 
open their understanding, that they may 
know the things which belong to their 
everlasting peace ! 

On Monday I heard, that some clergy- 
men w r ere with the officers : and, at night, 
one of the officers sent for me, and said, 
' what, you cannot leave olf preaching 
yet ; but we must be blamed about you. 
But if ever you preach publickly again ? 
you shall be severely whipped/ My an- 
swer was, * I am not careful in this mat- 
ter. It is better to obey God than man ! I 
fcelieye it is the will of God that I should 



MR, JOHN NELSON. 



15$ 



preach. And I have not taken man to 
please in any thing that will offend my 
God/ 

With many threats he bade me go : but 
I made no promise to obey him, neither did 
I intend it in this case ; fori had promis- 
ed to go to Acham, a village about a mile 
out of York : The next evening accord- 
ingly I went and preached to almost all 
the inhabitants in a field. The Lord gave 
nie to speak his word freely, and sent it 
with power to their hearts. The rock 
was struck, and the water gushed out. — 
All whom I saw behaved well Many said, 
' We hope you will come again ; ' For let 
men say what they will of this people, 
this is the truth, and so we shall find it 
one day.' 

As 1 came down the street, an alderman 
and his wife, of York, who had been to 
hear me, were standing at the gate of his 
house, and he called me, and said, ' if you 
please to accept of a glass of any sort of li- 
quor my house affords, it is at your ser- 
vice 1 answered, ' I thank you for your 
good will, but I don't care to drink/ Se- 
veral others offered me drink, but I took 
none, They prayed me to come once a 
week, as long as i staved in York. Lord, 
be mindful of this people I beseech thee, 
and send them those who will preach righ- 
teousness by faith in Jesus Christ ; and O 
that they may be found with the wedding 



THE JOURNifc OF 



'garment in that day, whei) every cover 
jug which is not of thy spirit, will be found 
;.s filthy rags before thy pure eyes ! 

All that week I had company as much 
as I could tell what to do with. Several 
desired me to pleach on Sunday morning. 
1 didnot promise, but went to discourse 
with about a score, at seven, on the Moor 
Others had a suspicion of my being here, 
and 1 believe two hundred flocked round 
ine, as soon a3 they saw me walking, 
and begged me to preach to them ; I told 
them 1 stood in jeopardy if I did ; but 
they answered, * We are more in dan- 
ger than you, for our souls are in danger ; 5 
on which it came into ray mind that i had 
freely received, and ought freely to give, 
wherefore I preached to them, and God 
was with us of a truth, and the hearts of the 

fieople were opened to receive the word in 
ove. 

Thence I went to sister Townshend's, 
where I found my own brother, and bro- 
ther Mitchell who came to see me ; and we 
were comforted together. Our time was 
short, for 1 had but half an hour, before I 
was to answer for what I had done. Some- 
body had told the ensign that I had been 
preaching ; so he sent for me and said, 
* d — n your blood, sir, have you been 
preaching this morning }' I told him I 
had ; oa which he swore he would have no 
preaching nor praying in the regiment. 



MR, JOHiY NELSON". loo 



Then said I, * Sir, Y'* )U ought to have no 4 
i swearing or cursing n\ -ither ; for surely I 
1 have as much right & ? P ra y and preach 
; «s you have to curse am * swear- 

• j He swore again that I sA ou ^ De damnably 

* whipped for what 1 had & one - I answered, 
J * Let God look to that ; * ne cause is his. 

t But if you do not leave okj our cursing and 
swearing, it will be worse* wit ^ y° u tnal> 
with me/ Then he said, 4 Corporal, put 
this fellow in prison direct! Tne Cor- 

poral said, * Sir, 1 must na Scarry a mar* 
to prison, unless 1 give in lift * crime with 
him.' Well, said he, it is foi ' disobeying 
orders. So I see a hundred % ^ disobey 
all the orders of God, and the* e 13 no no ' 
tice taken of them : nor do the common 
people cry out, * Hang them O ? fc of the 
^ay but if one of a thousand be S llls to 
) eprove them for sin, they had & Tli ta P n " 
son as if he had killed father oi ™ ther * 
But so it was from the be-innins •"• . a 
murderer was preferred before til e ' Dr ^ nce 
or life. r r * 

I was put prisoner just as ftm , * 

Wrv ce began, and I tfi5^£Bh* 
pother that the wort of GoTwJ &ipf 
|d, « Beheld, the devil ..hi.Il ,fi '- 
jou into prison, that y e ma y be tr 1^'^ °J 
is-red their prayers^that Imight befaftf 
!J1 unto death._As soon as I C t J"hh 

( f speakable, and my mouth with prtW?J 



THE JOURNAL OF 



my dear redeemer. This shall also turn 
to the glory of God ; for several men of 
good report heard me this morning, and 
testified that I had spoken the truth ; and 
they would not, they said, be guilty of send- 
ing that man to prison, for preaching for 
ali the world. This caused many to come to 
me, who offered me wine and strong drink. 
I told them, I did not care for any sort of 
strong liquor : but such as I had, gave I 
unto them ; some little books, and the word 
of God, which he gave me plentifully to 
speak to them, without respect of any 
man's person. 

Two nights and near three days, I was 
kept prisoner at this time ; during which, 
my scul was as a watered garden ; and I 
ccuid sing praises to God ail day long, for 
he turned my captivity into joy ; and gave 
me to rest as well on the boards, as if 1 had 
been on a bed of down. Now, could I say 
* Gods service is perfect freedom and I 
was carried out much in prayer, that my 
enemies might drink of the same river of 
peace, which my God gave so largely to 
me/ 

Now did I more plainly see the dreadful 
state of the unconverted than ever ; and 
thought, if it might be the conversion of 
my enemies, I could be content that they 
should tread me under their feet. But God 
only knows how it would have been had I 
been so tried ; yet thus far he hath helpe^ 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



151 



ins, and hath giv r en me strength for my 
day . Indeed I have found him a God of 
truth, as far as I have tried him ; and I 
put forth the hand of my faith, to lay hold 
of his strength for what he shall next call 
me to. 

On Tuesday I was fetched out and bro t 
before the major. There were several of 
the young officers with him, who smiled 
when I came into the room ; for they had 
been several times to see me in prison, 
and had sworn I should be severely whipt. 
But I told them, ' If you do not repent, 
and leave off that swearing, you will pe- 
rish eternally : And I shall be a witness 
against you : and that will be worse than 
your whipping me for Christ's sake. 

Now they seemed to rejoice, as if their 
words were going to be fulfilied. The 
Major called, ' John Nelson, what were 
you put in prison for ?' ' For warning 
people to flee from the wrath to come, I 
answered, and, if this be a crime, I shall 
commit it again, unless you cut my tongue 
out ; for it is better to die than to disobey 
God.' f Well, but if that be all, he repli- 
ed, it is no crime ; for when you l^ave done 
your duty I do not care if you preach 
every night in a house, or any private 
place out of the town ; but I would not 
have you make any mobs/ 'That said I, is 
far from my design.' tf Well said he, you 
may go home to your quarters, and if I 



13S 



THE JOURNAL OP 



ha\ r e a convenient time, I will send for 
you, and bear you myself ; for I wish all 
men were like you.' Here my adversaries 
hung down their heads, and gave ofiTsmil- 
ing. 

As I went to sister's Townshends I 
heard that we were to leave York on 
Thursday, at four in the morning, and 
inarch to Sunderland. 1 had a great de- 
sire to see my wife Csrt ; but she did not 
get my letter soon enough. Many of the 
people came, and said, f We are sorry you 
are going so soon from York ; but if you 
get \ our liberty, we hope both you and Mr. 
Wesley will come ; for we have need of 
such plain dealing, and thousands in this 
city w ould be glad to hear. You see w hat 
a populous wicked place it is ; pray do not 
forget us, but think of us, when you see us 
not. We expected some of you two or 
three years ago ; but you had no regard 
for our souls, till God brought you by 
force. Surely, you w r ere not sold hither, 
but sent for eur good ; therefore forget us 

not: 

O the tenderness which this people shew- 
ed, and desire for the word of God ! It 
moved me to cry out, ' Lord, have mercy 
on them, and let them hear thy gospel/and 
Xlnd it in thy power unto salvation ; for 
why should thy people perish for lack of 
knowledge ?' 

On Thursday morning we stood two 



MS. JOHN NELSON. 159 

hours in the streets, before we set out of 
town. We marched to Easingwould that 
day, and when we were drawn up in the 
street, the people perceived me to he the 
Methodist preacher they had read of in the 
newspapers. They told one another, and 
flocked about me, as if the soldiers had 
brought a monster into the town. 

When we had stayed near an hour in 
the street, I and five more were billeted 
at one house, where the people were so 
poor, they had not six seats for us to sit 
on, nor any beds : so we came back to the 
officer's quarters, and they ordered four of 
ns to another house. 

God gave me to speak plain to them, 
and several of their neighbours, who cams 
to see the Methodist. And then they 
said, ' If this be the Methodist doctrine, 
we pray God we may have it preached in 
this town, for hundreds would be glad to 
hear you/ 

In the evening the bead man of the town 
came in. He was a profest papist, but a 
moral, honest man, and one who bears a 
good character in his neighbourhood. He 
asked me many questions, and God gave 
me to answer him to his satisfaction, in- 
deed I never saw a man of his rank so 
teachable and humble. His gold lace did 
not make him above listening to the gos- 
pel. He seemed a man of sound reason, as 
well as of a liberal education. I spake near 



160 



THE OF 



an hour to prove the doctrine of justifica- 
tion by faith, and that both from the Old 
and New-Testament : I shewed the fruits 
of that justifying faith, and the necessity 
of every man's having it, that he may 
escape the damnation of hell. The word 
had such an effect upon him, that his eyes 
discovered the tenderness of his heart — 
and when I ended, he said, ' I think no 
man in his senses would dare hinder you 
from instructing sinners in the way of sal- 
vation. As for my ow n part I shall be 
glad to see you at liberty. And if you get 
clear of these men, and come again this 
way, I would have you call on me/ 

i was amazed to find such a man a- 
mong the Papists, having met with very 
few, either teachers or hearers, of our own 
church, but what hold Popish principles 
ten times stronger than this man, who 
calls himself a Papist. When he went a~ 
way, he forced two shillings into my hand, 
which I would have returned, telling him 
I received no money, and needed none t 
blithe would not take it again, saying he 
could afford it, and 1 might have occasion 
for it on my journey. O God be merciful 
to him, that gives a cup of cold water to? 
thy servants. 

Next morning at two, the drum beat for 
us to march out of town By eleven on 
Friday, we got to North-allerton ; and by 
twelve,, settled in quarters. I went inim 



ME. JOHN NELSON. 



161 



the Market-place, and spoke to those I 
found there of the way of salvation ; I 
hope not in vain. Afterwards, as I was 
sitting alone, there came a shop-keeper, 
and said, if I would go to his house, he 
would give me a glass of any liquor I pleas> 
cd to drink. I told him I did not drink any 
strong liquor. f Well, said he, I desire 
your company, if you please, for half an 
hour/ I went to his house, and drank 
tea with him and his family, and spake 
plainly to them. They received my exhor- 
tation with thankfulness, and said, * We 
have heard much of you, but never heard 
any of you before ; several of you have 
passed through this town, and we wonder 
they have never preached here. If yoi* 
come again, we hope you will call and see 
Us ' I gave them a book, and returned to 
my quarters. 

Next morning at one, the drum beat 
for us to march, and we got to Darling- 
ton by nine. Here I was known to several, 
and by them made known to almost all 
the town. Many came to my quarters to* 
talk with me, and others sent for me. 
Whence this famine in the land ? I find 
the people hunger after the word, as if 
there were no Bibles in the nation. 

We rested here on Sunday, and I hat! 
many to see me. When they heard what 
our doctrine was, they cried, * It is a 
shame to send a man for a soldier for 



THE JGUfcNAL'CF 



s peaking the truth •, for let all men say 
what they will, this is the gospel of Je- 
sus Christ/ 

In the evening, one of the officers came 
to me, and said, * Well, Sir, why were 
you not at church to-day ?' I answered, 

* I was, Sir, and if you had been there, 
you might have 6een me ; for I never 
miss going, when I have an opportunity.* 

* Well, Sir, he added, have you preach- 
ed since you came hither V f »Not publicly 
yet/ I replied. He swore he wished I 
would, that he might punish me severely. 

* But, Sir, (I told him,) if you do not re- 
pent and leave off that habit of swearing, 
you will be worse punished than you are 
able to punish me/ He replied, - I will 
make you mind your firelock, and leave 
offyour preaching/ * Yes, ^ir, I answer- 
ed, when I leave off speaking/ 

This was he that put me in prison in 
York for preaching. As Saul hunted Da- 
vid, so has this man hunted my soul ; but 
I trust the same God that delivered Da- 
vid, will deliver rae from cruel men. He 
called for one of the soldiers, and took 
the cockade out of his hat, putting it in 
tnine, and swore he would inake me wear 
it •, this caused a sore temptation to arise in 
me, to think that an ignorant wicked man 
should thus torment me in the street and 
prison, and I was able to tie his head and 
iieels together. I found an old man's 
bone in me ; but the Lord lifted up & 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



163 



standard, when anger was coming in like 
a flood, else I should have wrung his neck, 
to the ground, and set my foot upon him ; 
which would have brought a reproach upon 
the gospel, and wounded my own soul. But 
God is good to me, for he shewed me the 
danger and delivered me from it in a mo- 
ment. Then could I look on him with 
pity, and pray for him from the ground of 
my heart. 1 gave several books away in 
this town also ; which we left the next 
morning 

I was much surprised at the good nature 
of the soldiers in all this march, for I be- 
lieve twenty offered to carry the gun for 
me, or any thing cl r v I had. God, 1 found, 
supported me wonderfully in all these tri- 
als ; for I could travel fifteen or twenty 
miles fasting, as well as those who eat and 
drank two or three times by the way. 
Surely man doth not live by bread alone ; 
but the Lord is the Strength of Israel ; the 
Defender of all them that put their trust in 
him. O God, be thou my guide unto 
death ! 

We got to Durham by nine on Monday ; 
but, in our way we had a river to cross, and 
were obliged to wade through it. The day 
was very Hot ; so that I had sweat much, 
and caught cold immediately. I found my- 
self much out of order when we got to Dur- 
ham, and desired I might lay down a little. 
Corporal W — , lay down with me, and fell 



THE JOURNAL OF 



asleep. At twelve I awoke suddenly, as if 
some man had called me, and said to the 
corporal, I must go to the market place di- 
rectly, for what! know not, neither which 
way to go to it. 4 Nor I, he said ; but I 
will go with you, and we can enquire the 
way.' Accordingly we did : and just as 
we got thither, my brother Westell was en- 
quiring for me among the soldiers. ' Well, 
said Mr. W — , I never saw such a thing in 
ail my life, that you should thus awake > 
and come to meet your friend the minute 
he came to seek for you.' 

We weremueh comforted together: He 
told me that Mr. John W esley would be at 
Durham soon after four o'clock. I gave 
God thanks for that news. We went to a 
common about a mile from the town, and 
there we met Mr. Wesley : My heart re- 
joiced to see him ; and great reason have I 
to give God thanks that I ever saw him, 
who was an instrument in God's hand of 
plucking me as a brand out of the fire — 
And I have found him God's messenger for 
my good ever since. 

We came to the sign of the Angel, and 
Jiad some conversation together. He ex- 
horted me to watch and pray ; and did not 
doubt but my captivity would turn to the 
glory of God, and the furtherance of the 
gospel. At six I went to answer my call, 
and Mr. Wesley went into the Minster. 

Afterwards I and Thomas Beard, my fcl- 



SIR. JOHN NELSON. 



165 



low-prisoner, met Mr. Wesley, and our 
brother Errington, and went with them to 
the inn, and stayed till nine. Mr, Wesley 
said, 'Brother Nelson, lose no time; 
speak and spare not, for God hath work for 
you to do in every place where your lot is 
cast ; and when you have fulfilled his good 
pleasure, he will break your bonds in sun- 
der, and we shall rejoice together/ When 
we had prayed together, we commended 
each other to the grace of God, and so part- 
ed in body, but not in spirit. 

Next morning the drum beat at one, and 
we were called up in the Market-place, and 
caused to stand till three, and then march- 
ed off for Sunderland, which we reached 
by nine. When we were brought up into 
the town, I heard several of the inhabitants 
say one to another, * That is the Metho- 
dist mentioned in the news-papers ; for his 
look is not like other men's.' O my God, 
why am I and my fellows become men that 
are wondered at ! 

While we stood, a landlord came to us, 
and said, ' Sir, I wish you would quarter 
at my house, for I expect two, and shail be 
glad to have you for one, and whom you 
choose for a comrade.* , I chose Corporal 
W — , and asked for a billet as the man de- 
sired, but could not get it g yet 1 believe we 

f;ot the best quarters we could in Sunder- 
and. Thus I see, if we acknowledge God 
in ail our ways, he will direct our paths^ 



U6 



THE JOURNAL OF 



When I went to exercise, marsy came to 
see me, and 1 fell into discourse with them, 
but could get no hold of them ; for they as- 
sented and consented to all 1 said ; and 
were so full of what the world calls good 
manners, that all I spake was written as 
on the sand, tho' I talked with them seve- 
ral days: Yet some I trust, will be mind- 
Jul of their everlasting welfare. 

On Saturday night i M as ordered to 
Ftand centry on the Sunday following, but 
I desired I might stand another day, or pay 
for my guard. I believe ten men offered 
to stand for me, but all in vain ; for the En- 
sign, who had shewed hatred against me 
all along, was the officer of the guard that 
day ; and he protested he would make me 
do it myself. I asked, * Sir, what have 1 
done, that I cannot have the same liberty 
as another man?' He answered, f You love 
the church too well ; and I will keep you 
from it, and make them go who do not like 
to go !'" Keep me, O rov God, from all an- 
ger, or ill- w i i 1 ; for this man is set to prove 
me ! I went to the guard-house, and many 
came to talk with me -, but I did not stand 
centry till six on Monday morning. The 
Ensign saying in the street, I should not 
go to church, because [ loved it, drew many 
if the people to me ; and will turn, I am 
persuaded, to the furtherance of the Gos- 
pel. 

The week after Mr. M — came. He had 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



167 



heard what the Ensign had done, and 
came to me, and asked me how I did : and 
said, ? 1 am informed Mr. A — hindered 
you from going to church ■ but I will assure 
you, you shall not be hindered again as long 
as you are with us/ I have found some- 
thing of good in this man ever since 1 knew 
him. He will hear reason, and seems to 
make a conscience both of his words and 
actions. I was near an hour in his cham- 
ber, aud he asked me of the principal points 
of our doctrine. I marie them as plain to 
him as I could, and he beard me with great 
candour, and said, he had no fault at all to 
find with it. He told me, * The first time 
that ever I saw you, I saw you were no va- 
grant ; but it would be a scandal to ail 
who were concerned in sending or recei- 
ving such a one ; for the act of parliament 
does not reach such as you : But the rest of 
the officers said they could not help it, for 
you were delivered to as as a soldier by the 
Justices, and they are the rogues/ 4 No, 
Sir, I answered, the Justices are in no 
fault, for I was never before one of them 
yet/ He said, « Who sent you then V 1 
replied, * The Commissioners ' « What 
evidence had they against you V * The 
accusation against me, by the constables 
deputy, was, ' He preaches to the people 
and he also confessed that he knew no o- 
ther evil of me/ < Well, but the Act of 
Toleration clears you from that being a 



I6S 



THE JOURNAL OF 



crime : What, had you no man to speak for 
you ?' ' Yes, several w ere ready, but none 
were suffered to do it ; neither were the 
papers regarded, which my honest neigh- 
bours and gentlemen sent on my behalf ; 
for one of the Commissioners was the Par- 
son of our parish, and he was the evidence 
against me, and they said, they would hear 
no other/ 

'Nay, said Mr. M — it is no wonder 
they treated you so, if the priest was con- 
cerned : for they have been at the bead of 
all persecutions for religion, which has 
been since the world began. I see them so 
wicked, that I do not mind religion at all. 
But this is my religion ; I believe there is 
one God, and that Christ his Son died for 
the world ; I strive to do honestly to all 
men ; and to do a good turn to the meanest, 
if I can ; and I think my religion is better 
than theirs, who preach one thing and do 
another ; for I have seen so much of them, 
that I assure you, I would hear you as soon 
as any in the land.* 

He said he should like to read some of 
our books ; so I made him a present of An 
Earnest Appeal , The Character of a Me- 
thodist, and the sermon, Awake thou that 
sleepest. He has since told me, that he has 
read them, and likes them well. 

This day he procured me a furlough to 
Newcastle, for seven days ; and I found 1 
did not go up without the Lord ; for my 



MR. JO H N NELSON. 



sou!, and those of the people, were refresh-v 
ed with the love of God. Several of the 
soldiers came to hear me preach, and gave 
great attention to the things which were 
spoken. I found great freedom to speak to 
the children, whom God has called out of 
the evil world, to serve him in this place. 
Watch over them, O my God, for good, and 
be thou their guide unto death ! 

On Tuesday my time was out to go back, 
I preached at Painshee in the afternoon, to 
an attentive congregation, and got to Sun- 
derland by seven at night. This week I re- 
ceived a letter from Mr. Charles Wesley, 
that the E. of S. had assured the Lady 
Huntingdon, that I should be set at liberty 
in a few days. I said, 6 The Lord hath 
not forgotten to be gracious, for he hath 
taken my cause in hand, and it shall turn 
to his glory ; for he alone hath done the 
work, when all human means seemed to 
fail/ My enemies cried, ' We have made 
his bonds strong, and none can deliver him 
out of our snare ; for we have put it out of 
the officers power to discharge him for any 
price/ Lord, I beseech thee open their 
eyes, and let them see the snare which Sa- 
tan hath made for their souls, and escape 
by speedy repentance, and faith in thy 
blood. 

This week I was much out of health by 
the surfeit I got in marching ; but found 
present ease by being blooded. The week 



J 70 



THE JOURNAL OF 



fallowing I was sent for by the captain to 
the store-house ; and he insisted on my go- 
ing, though I was so ill. When I camfe 
there, he and three more officers came and 
asked me how 1 did ? I told them ; and they 
said, ' Here is a good coat for you to keep 
you from the cold, that you may recover 
your health/ I said, * I have coats e- 
nough, if that will do ; I need none of 
yours.' They said, ' they would make me 
wear it, and all other cloathing belonging 
to a soldier." I answered, * You may ar- 
ray me as a man of war, but I shall never 
fight.' They asked me, * What is your 
reason ?' My answer was, ( [ cannot see 
any thing in this world worth fighting for. 
I want neither it^s riches nor honours, but 
the honour that cometh from God only — I 
regard neither it's smiles nor it's frowns ; 
and have no business in it, but to get well 
out of it.' 

Then they ordered the Serjeant to pull 
off my coat, and put a red one on me ; 
w r hen he had done it, they turned me round, 
and rejoiced over me — I said, * You see 
the scripture cannot be broken, where it 
saith> e if they do this in the green tree, 
what will they do in the dry ?' * What do 
you mean by that/ tbey asked ? I answer- 
ed, ' The soldiers took Jesus and stripped 
him, and put a scarlet robe upon him, and 
mocked him, as you have treated me, his 
servant, this day for speaking his words 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



He indeed hath the greater condemnation 
who delivered me into your hands ; but I 
pray God forgive you all/ These words 
turned their countenance and behaviour 
toward me, and one of them laboured much 
from that time to find some way to set me 
at liberty. 

During my three weeks illness, many of 
the brethren and sisters from Newcastle,. 
Biddick, and Painshee, came to see me* 
and God was pleased at that time to give 
some the knowledge of salvation by the re- 
mission of their sins and to comfort all 
our hearts with his love- O may we ever 
keep his commandments, that we may con- 
tinue in his love, even as he hath kept his 
Father's commandments, and continue in 
his love ! 

On Friday, July 27, John Graham, of 
Sunderland, came to me with an open let- 
ter in his hand, and said, ' Come, my 
friend, I have good news for thee ; God 
hath heard the prayers of his people in thy 
behalf, and sent thee deliverance ; Here, 
read this letter, which the Major hath sent 
to the Captain on thy account.' It was on 
this wise, • I have received an order from 
the Earl of S. to discharge John Nelson, 
who was prest from Birstal, in the West 
Riding of Yorkshire ; therefore take his 
arms and cloathing from him which he has 
received, and let me know if he had any 
pay since he came, and send him to me with 



THE JOURNAL OF 



a furlough/ Accordingly I delivered a!l 
things I had belonging to them, to Lieuten- 
ant M. who said, he was glad that I was re- 
leased, and wished me well wheresoever I 
went. I had a furlough given me, and set 
out in the afternoon with some that were 
come from Newcastle to see me ; and got 
there by seven. 

All the Society gave God thanks on my 
behalf, as soon as they saw me for they 
had knowledge of my deliverance before 1 
had. Next morning I went to the Major's 
quarters about nine; when I had waited 
about an hour, I was ordered to come at 
half an hour past eleven — I did so, and 
waited another hour — then the Major call- 
ed to me, and bade me come at half an hour 
after two, and he would speak to me — I 
came again as he ordered me, and when 
I had stayed near an hour, one of the Cap- 
tains called to me, and said, e The Major 
is gone to dine with the Mayor of the town, 
and you will hardly see him to-night ; but 
you will be sure to find him to-morrow 
morning.' I told him, that uould not do 
for me ; for my business was not to be done 
on the Sabbath. 

Near six in the evening, I saw the Major 
go along the street, and followed him to 
his lodgings ; he said, " I have an order 
from Lord S — to discharge you/' He 
sent for the Adjutant, and ordered him to 
bring two printed discharges with him. 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



173 



He came, and three more of the officers 
with him, and filled up the discharge ; 
when he had done, he said, c I wish all the 
men in our regiment would behave as well 
as Mr. Nelson has done since he has been 
among us, it would be better for us and 
them too/ Then our Lieutenant said, 
* Indeed he has done much good since he 
came among us ; for we have not had one 
third of the cursing and swearing in the 
regiment, which we had before he came ; 
and he has given me several private exhor- 
tations, and some of their books ; and I 
thank him for them, and for his advice, for 
they are good/ Then the Major said, ' I 
wish I had a regiment of such men as he is 
in all respects, save that one, his refusing 
to fight ; I would not care what enemy i 
had to meet, or where my lot was cast.' — 
' Sir, if you fear God, I said, you have no 
need to fear any thing else ; for they that 
fear him depart from evil, and seek to do 
his will, and not their own ; they know that 
in his hand are the issues of life and death ; 
Therefore, they fear not him that can kill 
the body only, but him who can destroy 
both body and soul in hell. And every one 
that has this fear is truly wise ; but he that 
dare commit sin, his wisdom is the foolish- 
ness of folly ; for he is pulling destruction 
on his own head, and fitting himself for the 
fuel of hell fire. But he that is wise unto 
salvation is bold as a lion, and is more no- 
P 2 



THE JOURNAL C? 



ble than to contend for the honour which 
cometh of men •, for having bread to eat, 
and raiment to put on, he knows that is all 
this world can afford him. He pities the 
great ones of the earth, who feed on husks, 
and can be content with the title of Right 
Honourable ; while, by sin, they debase 
themselves even down to hell ; but by these 
things the god of this world blinds their 
eyes, so that very few of them see the way 
to heaven, as it is pointed out in the word 
of God.' 

' Well, said the Major; if you be so scru- 
pulous about fighting, what must we do t* I 
answered, ' It is your trade, and if you had 
a better, it might be better for you/ * But 
somebody, (he replied,) must fight I said, 
6 If all men lived by faith in the Son of God, 
•wars w r ould be at an end.' ' That is true* i 
he answered, if it were so, we should learn 
war no more/ 

* But there is one thing; said he, I desire 
to know : tell me, do you make your ser- 
mons ready before you go to preach, or do 
you speak offhand V I do not study what to 
say, but speak as the Spirit of God enables 
ine. 4 Well, said he, I cannot tell what you 
mean by the Spirit of God.' The more is 
the pity, I answered, that you should have 
lived so long in the world, and know no- 
thing of God yet ; for we do not know God 
but by his own Spirit given unto us : and 
till we have received that Spirit, we are 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



Without God in the world ; and no man can 
have this gift, and not know it ; for thus 
saith the Lord Jesus, • At that day ye 
shall know that I am in my Father, and you 
in me, and I in you/ So that if God be 
true, we must know that Christ is in us, or 
* we are none of his ; for as many as are led 
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of 
God : But if any man have not the Spirit of 
Christ, he is none of his : He is no Chris- 
tian, no more than a Turk or Pagan is, un- 
less he has the same Spirit that raised 
Christ from the dead, to raise him in this 
world from the death of sin. 

Here one of the Captains spake : e You 
said> one day, * If we have not the Spirit of 
God, we are dead while we live.* 4 Did 1 
so ? ■ Yes, you did/ ' Then I will prove 
it, both from the doctrine of the Church of 
England^ (of which 1 profess myself a 
member,) and from the Word of God/ 
God gave me to speak plainly from both for 
about twenty minutes ; none contradicting 
me, but they both stood as dumb men. 

Then said the Major, there is such a 
discharge for you, as I never gave before, 
but once / and put it into my hand : I 
told them, ' I have now delivered my own 
soul, and am pure from the blood of you 
all: fori have not spared either poor or 
rich, since I came among you, but have set 
life and death before you all, as you came 
in my way. I have declared unto you , 



]7o" 



the Journal of 



that the wicked shall be turned into hell, 
and all the people that forget God ; and 
contrary wise, the blessed state of them 
that repent, and obey the gospel of Christ 
our Saviour. And I pray God to give you 
all to understand the things which belong 
to your everlasting peace, and bless you 
in turning every one of you from your ini- 
quities — Then shall we meet another day 
to part no more/ The Major said, ' I 
wish you well wherever you go : For I 
believe you Methodists are a well mean- 
ing people and so said they all. I gave 
them a book, and took my leave of them. 

I went to the room, and preached that 
night, and had several of the soldiers to 
hear me, who gave attention to what I 
said ; then I took my leave of them, but 
some of them wept, and desired me to pray 
for them, and said, we are glad you are 
set at liberty, but sorry to part with you/ 
I commended them to God, and to the 
w 7 ord of his grace, and trust they will mind 
the exhortation, and become soldiers of Je- 
sus Christ. 

On the 28th day of July, I was set at li- 
berty to go wheresoever I thought was 
most for God's glory, who has delivered 
me from my bonds. For he hath done 
the w^ork, and to him the glory is due. 
What am I, that he should care for me ! 
But he is a God that hearetb prayer : And 
the cries of his people inclined him to take 
my cause in hand, — Praise the Lord, O 



M£. JOHN NELSON. 



177 



my soul, who has kept thee in all thy trials, 
and hath not suffered thee to faint in sore 
temptation ! 

Now I find the words true which Mr. 
John Wesley wrote me at York : f Well, 
my brother, is the God whom you serve, 
able to deliver you ; and do you find him 
faithful to his word ? is his grace still 
sufficient for you ? I doubt it not. He will 
not suffer you to be weary or faint in your 
mind. But he had work for you to do, 
which you knew not of, and thus his coun- 
sel was to be fulfilled ! Oh ! lose no time I 
Who knows how many souls God may 
by this means deliver into your hands. 
Shall not all these things be for the fur- 
therance of the gospel ! And is not the 
time coming when we shall cry out toge- 
ther, * Nay, in all these things we are 
more than conquerors thro* him that loved 
us/ 

On the 2 9th of July, 1744, the day after 
I was released from my captivity, I 
preached at the room in Newcastle ; and 
the" power of the Lord was present ; seve- 
ral more were converted that week, and 
my own soul refreshed among them. 

The week after 1 set out for home ; and 
brother Tinkler assisted me with a horse 
as far as Ferry-Hill, where we commended 
each other to the grace of God, and I set 
out on foot. 

The day after I met brother Ash, and 
two more near Boroughbridge, coming to 



JOURNAL OF 

meet me with my mare. Ws stopped and 
sang; praise together unto God, who had 
broken my bonds, and preserved them in 
many dangers. 

It was given out for me to preach at 
Leeds that night ; and I preached in an 
open yard, to a large company of rich and 

Eoor, that did not attend our preaching 
efore 1 was sent for a soldier. Thus we 
see that what the enemies of the Lord Jesus 
do to hinder his gospel, helps to enlarge his 
kingdom. So it is, that he tarns tke fierce- 
ness of men to his praise, and the remain- 
der of it he restrains — For not one in Leeds 
opened his mouth against me, but hun- 
dreds said they were glad to see me at li- 
berty again. 

When I got home I found my wife and 
children well, and we praised God toge- 
ther. But when I came to converse with 
the people, my soul was distressed within 
me, for those that had shewed me great 
love before I went, by their behaviour and 
countenance, now seemed to wish I had 
not comeback ; for Mr. Viney, who had 
been with the Moravians, had got among 
them in my absence, and had preached to 
them another gospel. They now told me, 
they did not want the law or work preach- 
ing any more, but they wanted to be fed ; 
and that neither Mr. Wesley nor I knew 
how to build up souls as well as Mr. Vi- 
ney did. But I found that they were 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



179 



buWt up in an unholy faith ; for they said, 
to tell people that they must be holy hi 
this world, was Mr. Wesley's error and 
mine, and we kept souls in bondage, by 
preaching as we did. Some of themindeed, 
shewed their liberty, by trampling under 
foot the law of God and man. 

When I saw such havoc made among 
the flock: by his soft words andfair speech- 
es, my soul was distressed within me, so 
that I could not eat my bread. I threw 
myself on the ground, and requested for 
death, saying, * Lord, why hast thou suf- 
fered me to come back to see this evil ?' 

When I preached, many stood like 
stocks or stones, and others smiled at one 
another; so that my preaching was like 
a feather thrown against a rock, or as wa- 
ter spilt upon the ground, except to a 
few strangers who were affected. I said, 
* Woe is me ! for my children flee from 
me, as if I tad brought the plague among 
them \\ 

I humbled myself before God, and beg- 
ged for light that 1 might know his will : 
and I opened the book on these words, 
6 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for re- 
pentance : and think not to say within 
yourselves, We have Abraham for our 
father, for I say unto you, that God is able, 
of these stones, to raise up children unto 
Abraham ; and now also the axe is laid 
runto the root of the tree, therefore, every 



180 



THE JOURNAL OF 



tree, which bringeth not forth good fruit, 
is hewn down, and cast into the fire/ i 
went out, and stood upon a table, and 
preached from these words to a large con- 
gregation, who seemed to be as a people 
that never heard the gospel before, and 
there began tobe a trembling amongst them 
when many fell to the ground, and cried 
out, f Lord, save, or I perish I s Many came 
to me weeping and said, ( We have been 
deluded by the German song. O pray for 
us, that God may give us back that tender 
conscience which we have lost since you 
left us.' Then Mr. Viney went out of the 
congregation, hanged down his head, and 
owned us no more. But my soul re- 
vived again, for sinners were converted 
and others restored to the simplicity of 
the gospel, who had been wise above what 
is written ; but some continue to this day 
in their happy sinnership. I met with one 
of them the other day, so drunk, that he 
could not keep the cart-road. I asked him 
what he thought of himself now, if death 
were to seize him in that wretched condi- 
tion ? He said, that he was not afraid to 
die, for he was as his saviour would have 
him to be ; and if he would have him to be 
holy, he would make him so, but he was a 
poor sinner, and he hoped to be so to eter- 
nity.— He said, ' You and John Wesley are 
enemies to the Lamb ; for you want people 
to be holy here ; But the Lamb shall have 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



181 



the honour of saving me ; I will not offer 
to save myself like you Pharisees/ 1 cried 
cut, ' Lord keep me from that delusion/ 

After some time I went to York, and 
found the seed sown in my captivity had 
sprung up ; for nineteen had found peace 
with Cod, and twice as many were under 
convictions, though they had no one to in- 
struct them in my absence : But the little 
books I left them, viz. the Sermon on, 
Awake thou that sleepest, and Salvation by 
Faith, and the Extract from the Homilies, 
and the Nature and Design of Christianity, 
had been of great use to them. O what 
good might be done, if these books were 
spread through the land ! 

Soon after, Mr. Wesley sent for me to 
London, and I found my soul blessed in 
speaking to the people ; and many came to 
hear out of curiosity, when they heard it 
was the man that had beeu in prison ; and 
several were convinced of the truth they 
heard. 

When I was at London, T received a let- 
ter from Sunder land, wherein I was desi- 
red to go and preach there. Two men who 
had conversed with me, when I was cap- 
tive there have found the Lord ; and they 
said, That their souls panted for tfie salva- 
tion of their neighbours. So i see that 
God leads the blind by a way they know 
not ; For I thought all that I had said 
there, was as water spilt on the ground ? 



I£2 THE JOURNAL OF 

but the Lord confirms his own word, when 
=a*e see little outward appearance of it. O 
how wonderful are thy works, O Lord ! 
what a great fire is kindled by a little 
spark in that place ! Now I see, that the 
wise man s advice is good, where he saith, 
* Sow thy seed in the morning ; and in the 
evening with-hold not tby hand, for thou 
k no west not which shall prosper, this or 
that.' 

In my return from London, I preached 
at Nottingham-cross, to a large congrega- 
tion ; most of them behaved very well, ex- 
cept a few who had prepared squibs to 
throw in my face ; but three of them were 
burnt with the fire that they intended for 
me, and w T ent away and left me to finish 
my discourse quietly. When I had done, 
there came a Serjeant to the cross to me, 
and feH down on his knees and said, ' For 
the Lord's sake pray for me ; for I came orr 
purpose to pull you down ; but the dread 
of God fell on me, (when I saw those burnt 
with the squibs that they intended to throw 
in your face,) and your words came as a 
sword to my heart ; and I am convinced 
that you are God's servant. I uever served 
either God or my King as I ought to do : 
But I hope I shall begin to lead a new life 
from this hour/ This being in the pre- 
sence of all the people, it seemed to season 
what I had said to them. As I was preach- 
ing, one Stephen Diskson, and two more 



MB. JOHN KELSON. 



135 



preachers, came and stood awhile : They 
then spoke aloud, and said, € Why hear ye 
him ? For he is as legal and blind, as the 
two Wesley s themselves.' 

When I got home, I found the people in 
a prosperous way : and the greatest part of 
them quite delivered from the Anfinomian 
principles that they had fallen into during 
my captivity ; and the Lord had lucrp^cd 
them in grace and number ♦ To him be the 
glory given. 

Soon after, I went to Newcastle, and la- 
boured there about three months, and had 
an opportunity to visit Sunderland. I 
preached upon the cross to the greatest 
part of the town, who behaved well, and 
stood all the time, though the snow was 
eight or nine inches deep. I went there as 
often as I could ; and God visited many 
with his salvation there, and at Painshee, 
and Biddick, who blessed God that I had 
been sent among them. They said, that 
they would pray far our minister, who was 
the cause of my coming ; for they were 
more beholden to him than to me : and let 
him intend what he would, they had reason 
to bless God, in his behalf. So it is evi- 
dent, God hath his way in the whirlwind, 
and his path in the great waters. 

On my return to Leeds, I found that the 
Lord had greatly blessed the labour of Jo- 
nathan Reeves, and John Bennet ; several 
being converted by their preaching, both 
here and at Birstul. 



184 



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I was afterwards ordered to Bristol. In 
my way I called at Nottingham ; and as I 
was preaching, a mob came into the house, 
and made a noise, as if they had been in a 
cock-pit, so that my voice could not be 
heard for some time. When they were si- 
lent, I began to speak, and one of them 
came behind me, and filled my mouth with 
dirt out of the channel. I never felt my- 
self so near being cho'aked in my life : But 
when 1 had gotten the dirt out, I spoke 
again. The ringleader of them turned 
about, and said, ' Let him alone, for he is 
right, and we are wrong ; and if any one of 
you touch him, I will knock you down/ He 
guarded me to my lodgings, and bore many 
blows for me he desired me to pray for 
him, that he might not rest till he had 
found peace with God, for he was sure he 
fought against the truth ; but by grace he 
would do so no more. 

I found peace at Wednesbury ; and se- 
veral, who had been persecutors, were con- 
verted, and were content to bear the re- 



have we to deal with ! It is plain, whoever 
turn at his reproof, he will pour out his 
Spirit upon them, and receive them into 
his family, after all they have done to pro- 
voke him. 

I found peace at all the places in my way 
to Bristol ; and my soul was refreshed a- 
rnoflg the neople in that city. Here, and in 




O what a good God 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



185 



parts of Somersetshire and Wiltshire, I 
spent lour months Several were awaken- 
ed at Poulton, Colford, Oakton, Shepjfcbn- 
Mallet, Road and Bearfield ; so God doth 
work, and none can hinder, though the in- 
struments be ever so weak : if he command 
it, a worm shall shake the earth. 

While I was in these parts, the rebels en- 
tered our land ; and many trembled for fear 
of the approaching calamities, that were 
expected at their coming, and attended the 
word and prayer, though they used not to 
attend before But after the Lord had put 
his hook into the rebels' jaws, und turned 
them back by the way they came, many 
were as careless about their souls as ever. 

A little before 1 left Bristol, I received 
a letter from Mr Charles Wesley, contain- 
ing only the following words, f My brother, 
you must watch and pray, labour and suf- 
fer : My spirit is with you ; you will short- 
ly be wanted in Yorkshire. Farewell. ' 
Indeed God hath made hirn a true prophet 
to me, for I see as much need to watch and 
pray as ever i did ; and I believe I shall, as 
long as I am in this howling wilderness : 
and to exert all my strength in labouring 
to persuade sinners to flee from tfce wrath 
to come, for I see myself a debtor to all 
men. 

I remember about eight months before I 
was pressed for a soldier, Mr. C Wesley 
was preaching near my house, in the open 
Q 2 



1*6 



the journal op 



street, and said in his preaching, f Before 
I shall come to preach here again,, the de- 
vil will be permitted to cast some of you in- 
to prison, but it shall turn to the glory of 
God, and to the furtherance of the gospel/ 
I little thought then that the cloud would 
burst on my head ; but when it did, his 
words were a support to me in my trials. 

When I left Bristol, I met with many 
sufferings ; at almost every place where I 
came to preach, mobs were raised, as if 
they were determined to kill me, and all 
God's children, in a kind of thanksgiving, 
because the rebels were conquered. O what 
stupid creatures are men in their carnal 
state ! 

When I got to Nottingham, I preached 
to a peaceable congregation. About half 
an hour after I had done, as I and four or 
five more were sitting by the fire, the con- 
stable with a mob at his heels came rushing 
into the house, and said, s Where is the 
preacher ?' I said, ' I am he, Sir/ He re- 
plied, f You must go with me before the 
Mayor.' I said, f Where is your warrant f 
He replied, ' My staff is my warrant. 
Come, lads, help me ; for I will make him 
go before the Mayor/ I said, * I am not 
afraid to go before him *, but it is your busi- 
ness to take up that swearer ; you hear 
there is another that swears, and if you 
dont take them up, it is in my power to 
make you pav forty shillings for not doing 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



187 



your duty/ He regarded not what I said, 
but hauled me away. When he had got 
almost to the Mayor s house, a gentleman- 
tike man said, ' Constable, where are you 
going with him V he said, ' To the Major/ 
He replied, f Pray don't ; for the Mayor is 
their friend, and says, he will put any one 
that disturbs them into the house of cor- 
rection : Therefore carry him before Al- 
derman H — 1, and he will do for him/ 
* Then we must turn another way/ said 
he/ But I said, ' I insist upon going before 
the Mayor/ But he replied, ' I will make 
you go wfyere I please/ I said, * You told 
me you must carry me before the Mayor ; 
I find you are a strange officer, to encour- 
age swearing, and tell lies yourself/ Then 
the mob shouted, and cried, ' Help us to 
guard the methodist preacher to the house 
of correction/ 

By that time we got to the aldermanV 
house, there were several hundreds gather- 
ed together ; and when we came there, he 
said, ' Whom have you brought, consta- 
ble V To me he said, * I wonder you can't 
stay in your own places ; you might be con- 
vinced by this time, that the mob of Not- 
tingham will never let you preach quietly 
in this town/ I replied, * I beg pardon. 
Sir, I did not know before now, that this 
town was governed by a mob ; for most 
such towns are governed by magistrates.' 
He blushed, and said, ' Do you think that 



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we will protect Wesley, and you } a pack 
of you ! No. I believe you are the cause of 
all the commotions that have been in the 
land/ i replied, ' Sir can you prove that 
one man who is joined to us did assist the 
Pretender, with either men, money, or 
arms ?' He said, ' it hath been observed, 
that there were always such a preaching, 
bawling people, before any judgment came 
upon the land ' I replied, ' 'J^hat is the 
goodness of God towards the people, for 
sending his messengers to warn them to 
repent, that they may escape his judgments 
here, and the torments of the damned here- 
after. Sir, you may as well say, that it 
was through Jeremiah that the Chaldeans 
destroyed the temple, and took the inhabi- 
tants of Jerusalem captives, because he 
told them it would be so, if they did not re- 
pent, and turn to God. No, sir, it is not 
for praying and preaching that evil comes 
on a land, but for swearing and cursing, 
drunkenness, and debauchery, for oppress- 
ing the poor, and loving pleasure more 
than God ; and for denying the Lord that 
bought us. These arc the people that 
bring the sword, pestilence, and famine, 
into the land.' The constable said. ' Do 
you think we will take warning by such 
fellows as you/ I said, 4 If you will not, 
you must feel the blow ; for if there be not 
a reformation in the land, God will pour 
out his judgments upon man and beast ; 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



189 



therefore, I warn you all to look unto the 
rod, for it is appointed to them that diso- 
bey the gospel.* Then the alderman said, 
e So, so, you must not preach here. I ve- 
rily believe you are a good in an/ Then he 
said, ' Constable, will not send this man 
to the house of correction : I think, ae you 
keep a public house, you may let him lie 
thereto-night; for he is on his journey/ 
The constable 6aid, ( I beg that he may not 
be at my house/ ' Well then, said he, he 
may go to Mary White's, where he came 
from/ I spoke a few more words to him, 
and wished him a good night.' He said, 
Mr. Nelson, I wish you well wherever you 
go.' 

When I had got into the street. I don't 
know but there might be a thousand peo- 
ple ; but I saw not one that I knew ; there- 
fore I went and stood under a lamp that 
my acquaintances might see me The al- 
derman came to the door, and said to the 
constable, Take care of Mr. Nelson, that 
no one molest him ; see him safe to Mary 
White's/ The constable seemed much 
ashamed, and did as he was ordered. — 
Then the man that advised him to carry 
me before the alderman, came to me, and 
sai l, ' Thy nimble tongue has delivered 
thee at this time/ I said, 'No, sir, it is 
my God, who hath the hearts of all men to 
his hand/ 



190 



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When we got to Mary White's, we sung 
a hymn, and gave praise to God, and pray- 
ed for our enemies, and recommended 
each other to God's care and protection ; 
and we had a comfortable meeting at five 
the next morning. 

When I got home, I found all things in 
a comfortable way, and the Lord added 
many to the number of his children that 
winter, and several died in the triumph of 
faith. ' Wonderful art thou, O Lord, in 
all thy works ; and as thou art in majesty, 
so art thou in mercy !* 

One day I happened to fall in company 
with a gentleman, that was called one of 
the chief teachers in Israel, who began to 
ridicule Mr. Wesley, and all that labour 
with him, saying, 6 They are a short-sight- 
ed, ignorant set of people, neither are 
they willing to be instructed in the truths 
qf the gospel/ 1 said, ' Sir, I am one of 
them, and I am open for conviction : shew 
me our error, and I hope, by grace to for- 
sake it/ He said, r You deny the faith 
delivered to the saints, in denying Elec- 
tion and Reprobation/ I said, * 1 do not 
know that that is the faith of the gospel ; 
for the Apostle Paul saith, * It was not 
written for Abraham's sake alone, that 
faith was counted to him for righteousness 
but for our sakes, if we believe in him 
that raised our Lord Jesus Christ from 
the dead, who was delivered for our of- 



MR. JOHN NBLS-ON. 



fences, and raised again for our justifica- 
tion/ I think, therefore, that this is the 
faith of the gospel, that I with my heart 
believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, 
and rose again for my justification ; that 
he died for me, that his life might be made 
manifest in my mortal flesh ; that I might 
not live to myself, but to him who died 
for me : and this faith kindles a flame of 
love in the heart of those that receive it, 
to God and to every soul of man ; and I 
would not give a straw for any thing cal- 
led faith, short of this The same Apostle 
aaith, that his commission to the people 
and to the Gentiles, was to open their eyes,, 
and to turn them from darkness to light, 
and from the power of Satan to God ; that 
they might receive forgiveness of sins, and 
Eta inheritance among them that are sancti- 
fied, by faith in Jesus Christ : but there is 
not one of reprobation in his commission ; 
and if any come to preach another g'pspel, 
let him be accursed. • He stormed at mp, and 
called me a muddy-headed creature seve- 
ral times. I answered, ' My head is mpddy, 
or your doctrine is unclean. If you clesr God 
and not make him a liar, nor guilty q per- 
jury, nor the author of all sin, then |may 
think as you do/ He asked, ' What d) you 
mean f I replied, ' He hath said sfreral 
times ihat ; he is no respecter of person but 
you hive given him the lie many tmes, 
since Icamein your company; and yowave 
made him guilty of perjury ; for he mar's 



192 



THE JOURNAL OF 



bvhis own life, that he hath no pleasure 
id ^.hr death of a sinner. And you have 
afirined that it is God's pleasure to leave 
the greatest part of mankind to an unmer- 
ciful devil, to govern them here, and 
to torment them hereafter : nav, you af- 
firm, that it is his good pleasure to damn 
infants from their mother's womb. — O Sir, 
beware what you say against the God of 
love : for you have made him worse 
than Moloch. By your words that man is 
as much doing the will of God, that cuts 
his father's throat, and that ravisheth his 
own mother, as he that feedeth the hun- 
gry, and clotheth the naked ! — O sir, is 
iliii the God that was in Christ, reconcil- 
ing the world to himself? No, be is loving 
to every man, and his mercy is over all 
his works : and St. John saith, * He 
thai laveth is born of God ; and knoweth 
God, for God is love/ Then he made a 
noise like a butcher in the Bear-garden. 
Wfatf i could be heard, I said, * Sir, if 
evis you preach again. I must look upon 
you either as a fool or knave/ He asked, 
* \V!iy so } I replied, e You say the elect 
wen chosen from eternity, and the rest 
set apart for misery: and that the dc- 
ere* cannot be broken ; and if y<yj think 
©neaf the chosen can be lost for want ol 
pretching, or one of the reprobates can 
be J,ve~d by your preaching, you nasi be 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



19* 



void of reason, and something worse, if 
you believe the thing is fixed, and that 
preaching will aggravate the torments of 
the lost, and that the greatest part of your 
hearers are lost, who help to maintain 
you as a gentleman, only to increase their 
damnation.' He looked at me with a 
stern countenance, and said, ' You are 
as bad as Wesley himself/ I replied, 
* Sir, why do you find fault ? If what you 
say be true, God hath decreed me to think 
as I do? And how can I break the de- 
cree V He said, ' I hate to hear you talk 
so/ I answered, ' Do you want God to 
break his decree V Then he went away in 
a rage. 

Another preacher of the same sort, 
heard our dispute, and told me, he would 
put a question to me, which would drive 
me from inherent righteousness : viz. * If 
the white raiment that those appeared in 
before the throne of heaven, were not the 
imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ V — 
I said, 4 No, Sir.' But he affirmed it was. 
I then said, * It is almost blasphemy, in 
my opinion, to say so.' He said, ' What 
do you mean ? I answered, ( The scrip- 
ture saith, that * They came out of great 
tribulation, and washed their robes, and 1 
made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb :* I never heard that his life was 
stained by sin ; neither man nor devil 
€ould accuse him thereof ; his righteous- j 
B 



194 



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ness had no need of washing ; it is blas- 
phemy to say that it did ; for shame, go 
home and read the scriptures, and you 
will see it is the blood of Jesus Christ that 
cleanses from all sin, but clokes none ; 
When a soul appears in that company, it 
is not like a dunghill covered with snow, 
but really pure, and is, by the power of 
Jesus Christ's Spirit, restored to the Image 
of God, in which it was at first created ; 
and then, and not till then, can it enter 
in at the gates of the New Jerusalem, ai|d 
join the angels and archangels, and spi- 
rits of just men made perfect, to sing an 
eternal anthem to the Great Three One/ 
He said, ' You shall never make me think 
as Wesley and you do.' I replied, ' If 
you don't in this world, you will in the 
next; for if you die defiled and unclean, 
you must be cast into a lake that burneth 
with fire and brimstone ; so you had bet- 
ter begin now yourself, and advise your 
hearers to cry out, ' Create in me a clean 
heart, and renew a right spirit within me, 

Lord, for none but the pure in. heart 
can see God.' — He said, ' 1 do not care 
what you can say, for my salvation was 
completed when Christ hung on the cross.' 

1 replied, ' Not so, for he did not repent 
for you : You must repent for yourself, or 
eternally perish, after all that he hath 
done and suffered for you ; and if you do 
not believe that he died for your sins, and 



MR. JQHN NELSON. 



rose again for your justification. Nor was 
lie risen again when he hung on the cross, 
which vas yet a necessary part of the 
work thjt he came to do. Nor was he 
tjorn again for you ; for you must be born 
acjain, or vou can never enter into the 
kingdom of heaven ; and be as really made 
a partaker of the Divine Nature by rege- 
neration, or you have no more right to 
-call Gad jour father, or heaven your in- 
heritance, than I have to call King George 
tny fatner, and his throne mine.* He said, 

* You are a strange set of people :* and 
left me. O my God, take the matter into 
thy own hand, and put a stop to that anti- 
<christian doctrine, which is spreading as 
a flood in Dur land ; and give the people 
to see the truth as it is in Jesus ; and cre- 
ate such a hungering and thirsting after 
inward holiness, that they may pant as 
the hart pa,nteth after the water brooks, 
till all that is in them be made holiness to 
the Lord. 

I was in hopes that I had done with 
that sort of people, but a third came to 
me soon after, in a rage, and said, * You 
are an enemy to the gospel.' I asked, 

* Wherein, Sir ?' He replied, * In saying 
that Christ died for all, and in denying 
imputed righteousness ' I answered, 

* Fa.lth in Christ, is imputed for righteous- 
ness, to every soul that believeth ; and 
they $re freely forgiven for his sake, re* 



THE JOURNAL CTF 



ceived into God s favour and family, and 
are made partakers of the same Spirit, 
that raised our Lard from the dead - T 
whereby they are enabled to deny ungod- 
liness, and wordly lusts, and to live a 
godly, righteous, and sober life, i q this pre- 
sent evil world : and to perfect liolin ess in 
the fear of God In the scripture sense 
these live not, but Christ liveth in them ; 
and he doth actually destroy the work of 
the devil, and re instamp the Image of 
God in their souls ; and I read of no othef^ 
qualification to fit a soul for God's compa- 
ny/ He said, * You are stupid, and so 
are all they that follow Wesley ; but I be- 
lieve as 1 say, and so do many better 
men than either he or you.' J answered, 
* If you and all the preachers in England 
were to believe so, i will not give you 
credit, unless the word of God expressly 
says, that Christ did not die for all ; but 
it saith several times, that he did die for 
all: But not once that he did not die for 
all ; and how you came to be wise above 
what is written, I know not, neither do I 
want such wisdom. I added, * Tell me, 
Sir, did you ever feel the love of God in 
your own soul ? If you did, I appeal to 
your conscience ; that at that time you 
found iove U every cf man ; now this 
was not your nature, but the ?r?*i:.:re of 
God ; and if one drop of the bucket c&mH 
so swell your soul, what must that ocean. 



MR. JOttN NELSOK. 



be from which it came ? But I cannot help 
thinking, that you of that principle i;ever 
knew God, or if you had known him, you 
have forgotten him ; for you make him 
worse than Moloch/ On this he fell in- 
to a rage with me. I said, * Be not an- 
gry with me, but rather be consistent 
with yourself, and if I could believe as 
you do, I would not have so long trou- 
bled the people with preaching ; for you 
say, ' Not one of them that Christ died 
for can perish, nor .the rest be saved/ 
Then why do you and I -beat the air? 
For Christ will have his, you say, and 
the devil must have his : Therefore, let 
each have their own quietly, and do not 
torment the poor creatures before the time. 
He then went away in haste, and sent for 
arguments to those of his own stamp ir* 
London, to put a stop to universal re- 
demption and inward holiness, but never 
yet brought them to me. 

Soon after, I met with a Roman Catho- 
lic, who began to condemn all sects and 
parties, saying, * They must all peiish, 
that die out of the pale of the church ; 
that there is but one true church, and that 
the church of Rome is it.' I replied, 
* Whatever the church of Rome is, you 
do not belong to Christ's church yet ; for 
you curse and swear, and get drunk, and 
break the sabbath: and while you con- 
tinue to do so, you belong to the svna 
R % 



198 



the journal of 



gogue of satan/ But he said, 'Our priests 
have Peter's power, and could and would 
forgive the sins of all that belong to our 
community/ I answered, 'Not so; for 
one wicked man cannot forgive another, 
nor forgive his own sins ; no, it is God 
that is offended, and it is he that is offend- 
ed who must forgive the offender; one 
rebel cannot forgive another ; it is the 
King that must forgive both, or both must 
suffer. You say also, that the wafer is 
the real body, and the wine the real blood 
of Christ, after consecration ; then accord- 
ing to you, whosoever is a partaker of it 
hath eternal life abiding in him ; but the 
scripture saith, that * no whoremonger, 
or drunkard, or blasphemer, hath eternal 
life abiding in him/ and you know that 
many of your church that are partakers 
of the Eucharist, are such. Nay, St. Paul 
tells us, in the 5th chapter of the Gala- 
tians, of seventeen sorts of sinners, that 
shall not inherit the kingdom of God ; 
therefore be not deceived, neither cast 
away the reason God hath given you. 
Now bring your wafer and set it before 
a swine, an ape, or a bear, and they will 
devour it, how then can you dare to say 
that it is divine ? If it be so, these brutes 
must be raised up at the last day, as well 
as you/ He gave me bad words. And 
another of them said, If he might have 
bis will on me, he would have me boiled 



MR. JOHN NELSON* 



199 



in oil / they then left me. Oh, my God, 
rend away the veil of ignorance from that 
people, and let ail nations see thy salva- 
tion ! 

On my journey to the place where I was 
going to preach, I called at a gentleman's 
house, where was much company ; and he 
insisted I should stay and dine with them. 
I desired to be excused. He said, f What 
is your reason ? You have time enough on 
your hands.' I replied, 'Sir, I don't care 
to affront you in your own house/ ' What 
dp you mean Y he said. I answered, ' If 
I affront the gentlemen at your table it 
will affront you ; and 1 do not expect to 
sit at the table to-day, but I shall hear the 
Name of the Lord blasphemed, though 
there are two Clergymen in the company, 
and if I do, I must reprove them, or car- 
ry a guilty conscience home, which I will 
not do for all you have.' He said, * 1 in- 
sist on you to dine with me: and you are 
welcome to reprove sin ; and if I be guil- 
ty, reprove me first.' I said, ( You, -ir, 
as soon as any one, or I should not love 
your soul as well as another's. 

When we were seated, I had scarcely 
time to eat one morsel, before I had occa- 
sion to reprove ; for one gentleman was a 
Roman Catholic, and he hardly spoke 
three words, but one was an oath. I said 
to the master of the feast, ' There is one 
thing too deep for me y I cannot fathom 



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it.' He asked, ' What is that >' I an- 
swered, f When I see a man endowed 
with reason, and of a liberal education, 
run himself out of breath for no prize/ He 
said, ; What do you mean ?' * I replied, 
f When such a one will damn his soul 
with swearing and cursing, it is like run- 
ning for no prize. If he damn his soul to 
gratify his vain and foolish desires, he 
hath a sort of pleasure, though it is bru- 
tish : but the other brings neither plea- 
sure nor credit/ Then said the gentle- 
man, ' Peter swore/ 1 replied, ' He did 
so, but when he had done, he went out and 
wept bitterly . And I do not suppose be 
ever swore again — -Sir, I wish you would 
do as he did/ He answered, « Well, I 
own it is not right to swear, but here are 
some of your clergy, as you call yourself 
a churchman, that will swear as much as 
me when they are hunting/ I said, f Sir, 
I am sorry to hear that ; but it will not 
justify either you or me, if we swear, be- 
cause your priest and my minister will 
swear/ Then another said, 'Do you 
think that Mr. John Wesley woufd not 
swear a vain oath for a hundred pounds? 5 
I answered, ■ I believe he would not swear 
a vain oath to save his neck from the gal- 
lows ; if I were sure he would, I would 
turn my back on him for ever/ The Ro- 
man Catholic said, ' I neither care what 
you nor he saith ; for hunt* J, will, and 1 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



have as good a pack of fox dogs as is in 
the kingdom, and a couple of as good hor- 
ses to follow them ; which do but cost me 
two hundred pounds a year, and I can 
well afford it/ But 1 replied, * Sir, how 
will you answer for spending two hundred 
pounds a year, when you come to give an 
account of your stewardship ?■' He answer- 
ed, s It is my own ; I am not a steward/ 
I replied, ' You are but a steward, Sir : 
for ' the earth is the* Lord's and the full- 
ness thereof; so are the cattle on a thou- 
sand hills.' He says, * The gold is mine* 
and the silver is mine,' and he will say to 
you, « Thou hast taken my gold and my 
silver, and spent it on thy dogs, horses, 
and fighting cocks, in the room of feeding 
the hungry, and clothing the naked, or as 
being a husband to the widow, or as a 
father to the fatherless, or as eyes to the 
blind, or legs to the lame. O Sir, consi- 
der, it is but a little while, befor God will 
say to you, * Come, and give an account 
of thy stewardship, for thou must be no 
longer steward !' Then you will wish, 
that all you have spent in voluptuousness, 
and vain pleasures, had been given to the 
poor and needy ' Then the two Clergy- 
men whispered together ; and the whisper 
went round to the Roman Catholic, and 
he said, f Why did God make dogs of 
such a nature, if it were not for gentle 
men's diversion V I answered, 'Who dare* 



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say, that God made them so ? He said, 
' Did not God make them V * Yes, Sir, I 
replied, and you too ; but not as you are/ 
He said, f What do you mean ?' I replied, 
1 When God had finished the creation, he 
pronounced every thing good : and there 
was no death in any creature. But when 
sin entered into the world, then death en- 
tered into the world by sin ; but before 
man sinned against his Maker, there was 
nothing in one creature that would take 
the life of another ; No, the hare would 
as soon have hunted the hound, as the 
Jiound the hare. At that time, the lamb 
would as soon have killed the lion, as the 
lion the lamb ; and the pigeon the hawk, 
-as the hawk the pigeon. But since the 
fall, the earth is cursed for man's sins, 
and every thing that it produces ; nay, it 
is all a curse to man, till it is sanctified to 
him by prayer. And I do not believe, that 
you or any who is here, go to your knees 
to desire God to give his blessings on 
your undertakings, when you go a hunt- 
ing, and to enable you to use the hounds 
and horses to his glory : not believing, 
that you can do any thing that will please 
him better/ He said, ' 1 have heard that 
Wesjey had taught you the art of reason* 
ing, and I find he has/ I replied, • Sir, 
if you or any man that is present, can dis- 
prove what I say, let them do it now/ 



-MR, J<?HN NELSON. 



203 



After my return to Leeds, I went to 
* Wakefield, and preached to a small but 
serious congregation. 

The next morning I set out for Kirk- 
Heaton, and in my way, 1 called to break- 
fast with a friend in Horborough ; but be- 
fore I had been there half an hour, the 
house was beset with almost the whole 
town, men, women, and children ; they 
cried out with one voice, c Bring him out, 
that we may put him into the river.' I 
went out to them, and said, f What do 
you want }' They damned me, and said, 
' You, you Methodist dog.' I replied, 
' What have I done to you } I am not go- 
ing to preach here now/ Then the par- 
son's son swore, ' You shall never preach 
more, for we will drown you in the ri- 
ver this day/ And I found that almost 
the whole town had agreed together, that 
all the journeymen and apprentices should 
leave work as soon as the next preacher 
Came into the town, and put a halter 
about his neck, and drag him into the ri- 
TFer, and d/own him, that the town may 
be quit of them for ever ; and the par- 
son s son was the captain of the mob, 
who had prepared a crazy man to put 
the halter about my neck ; and he stood 
with one in his hand, and a butcher with a 
rope to help to haul me along ; but while 
my voice could be heard, they had not 
power to touch me 5 then they went to 



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the Clerk's house, and got six large hand- 
bells, and came and rung them round * 
me, for that my voice could not be heard ; 
then the madman, who was above six 
Teet in height, put the halter to my throat* 
but I put my hand between my throat 
and it, and pushed it back, and the man 
fell to the ground, as if he had been 
knocked down with an axe ; and the but- 
cher stood trembling, and touched me not. 
The constable then came with his staff in 
iiis hand, upon which the mob cried* 
* Here is the constable, let him come, and 
tie will put the rope on him now ; for he 
will help us/ He came to me, and I 
said, e Are you the constable?' He an- 
swered, ' Yes, I am, and that 1 will let 
you know.' I replied, ' I am glad you are 
come ; and I charge you in the king's 
name to do your office. ' He asked, ' What 
is my office ? I answered, f It is to quell 
this mob ; and to deliver me out of their 
hands : and if I have done any thing con- 
trary to the law, to carry me before a 
Magistrate ; and let me be punished by 
the law.' He turned pale, and said, 
' Where are you going >' I answered, ' I 
was going to the stable to get my hor.se, 
but was stopped by this mob.' He badfc 
them be silent, and said, 'Follow me.' 
He went to the stable, and led out my 
horse, and held the stirrup, while I got 
on : He then led me quite through the 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



205 



crowd, and bade me go on in the Name of 
the Lord. O my God ! hitherto thou hast 
helped me ! 

When I got to my place, we had a com- 
fortable meeting ; for the power of the Lord 
was present to heal ; and one that had wait- 
ed long, was set at liberty ; and all praised 
the lord on my behalf, for his delivering 
me from the hands of the ungodly. 

I went once more to York, in Passion 
week ; and preached on Good Friday, at 
Hepworth-Moor, to a serious, peaceable, 
people ; and gave out to preach there on 
Easter Sunday, at eight in the morning : 
Then I went to a village about three miles 
from York, where I preached to a very 
large and well-behaved congregation. 

On Easter-Sunday I went to Hepworth- 
Moor, at the time appointed, and found 
two companies of people assembled : The 
one came to hear the word, and the other 
to mob. After we had sung a hymn and 
prayed, I opened my book on these words, 
* God having raised up his son Jesus Christ, 
and sent him to bless you, in turning every- 
one of you from your iniquities ; and I 
went on to prove that this was his business 
in. this present evil world, actually to save 
all true believers from their sins ; and that 
it was neither sect, party, nor opinion, that 
made a man a real member of Christ's 
Church ; But the real christians are those 
that are saved from their sins, by Jesus 
S 



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Christ, both from omitting and commit- 
ting ; and every thing short of this, was 
not Christianity ; therefore, I said, * Be not 
deceived ; for whatsoever is defiled, or un- 
clean, cannot enter into the kingdom of 
heaven, but must be cast into the lake that 
burneth with fire and brimstone ; and as 
this day is kept in the remembrance of 
God's raising his Son up to bless us, let 
every one cry out, f Lord, bless me, and 
turn me from my iniquities/ Then a gen- 
tleman, a papist, that brought the rebels to 
mob, cried out, * Knock out the brains of 
that mad dog and perfectly gnashed with 
his teeth. Immediately a shower of stones 
came, and hit many of the people, and they 
continued to throw, till not one could stand 
to hear me , nevertheless, not one stone hit 
me, though I stood as a mark on the table, 
when all were fled from me, and I talked 
to the mob. But, on going away, one 
struck me with a piece of a brick on the 
back of my head, and I fell flat on my face, 
and must have lain for some time, had not 
two men lifted me up ; but I could not stand 
for some time. The blood ran down my 
back quite into my shoes, and the mob fol- 
lowed me through the city, swearing that 
they would kill me, when they got me out 
of it. I said unto the Lord, ' Lord, thou 
wast slain without the gate, and thou canst 
deliver me from the hands of these blood- 
thirsty men/ When I was got oyer the 



MR. JOHN NE1SON, 



207 



bridge, a gentleman came and took me by 
the hand, saying, ' What is the matter you 
bleed so?' Some of the mob answered, 
* That is but little to what we will do to 
him/ Then the gentleman pulled me into 
his house, and told the mob if they did not 
disperse immediately, some of them should 
be in the castle before an hour was at an 
end. Then they fled away ; and he sent 
for a surgeon to dress my head. 

I lay down awhile and brother Salton 
carne with my horse, and I rode to Ack- 
ham, where 1 was to have preached at five 
in the afternoon ; but just at that time, 
there came about ten young gentlemen, 
some in the coach, some on the box, and 
behind the coach ; who began to sing the 
songs of the drunkards, and to throw rot- 
ten eggs at the women. 

I and two more were walking in a little 
field hy the house, when there came two 
big men, one of whom swore, < Here he is ; 
I will kill him if there were not another 
man alive/ I told him that he had not any 
reason to kill me, for I had done him no 
wrong ; nor any one in that town. Then 
he pulled off his hat and wig, and gave 
them to the other man, saying, ' If I do not 
kill him, I will be damned/ Then he 
came as fiercely to me as he could, with an 
intent to run his head against the pit of my 
stomach, but I stepped aside, and he pitch- 
ed on his head. When he got up, 1 spok* 



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to him again, asked what I had done amiss 
to him ? He gave me no answer, but ran at 
me again, and caught hold of the collar of 
my shirt which rent in pieces, and he fell 
down at my feet again : Then he got up, 
and came to me the third time : and, as I 
made no resistance, he threw me down, 
and leaped with his knees on my belly se- 
veral times, till he had beaten the breath 
out of me, and set my head bleeding again. 
He then went to the gentlemen that hired 
him and the other man to kill me, and said, 
Gentlemen, I have killed the preacher, he 
lies dead in the croft.' And then he took 
one of our friends, and threw him against 
the corner of a wall, and broke two of his 
ribs. The parson's brother said, * Well, 
we will see ourselves ; we will not take 
your word/ Upon which, he, and about 
twenty more came to me ; but my breath 
was come again, and I was turned on my 
face, and lay bleeding on the ground. One 
of them said, ' He will get his death if he 
lies there awhile/ Then they lifted me 
up, and said, ' We will help you into the 
house/ When I could 6peak, I said, 
* Your mercy is only to make way for more 
cruelty ; gentlemen, if I have done any 
thing contrary to the law, let me be punish- 
ed by the law ; I am a subject to King 
George ; and to his law I appeal ; and 1 
am willing to go before my Lord Mayor, 
as he is the King's Magistrate/ Biit they 



MR. JOHN NELSON. 



209 



cursed me and the K — g too, saying he was 
as bad as we, or he would have hanged us 
all like dogs before now. One actually 
damned him, and said, r 4f he were here, 
wc would serve him as bad as you/ 

The parson's brother cursed me, and 
said, ' According to your preaching, you 
would prove our ministers to be blind 
guides, and false prophets ; but we will 
kill you as fast as you come.' One said, 
r if Wesley comes on Tuesday, he shall not 
live another day in this world.' When I 
got into the street, they set up a huzzah, 
and a person caught hold of my right hand, 
and gave me a hasty pluck : At the same 
time, another struck me on the left side of 
the head, and knocked me down. As I 
got up, they knocked me down eight 
times and when I lay on the ground, not 
being able to get up, they took me by the 
hair of my head, and dragged me upon the 
stones for near twenty yards, some kicking 
me on my sides and thighs with their feet, 
as the other dragged me along ; and six of 
them got on my body and thighs, to tread 
the Holy Spirit out of me, as they said. 
Then they let me alone a little while, and 
said one to another, 9 We cannot kill him/ 
One said, ' I have heard that a cat h«as nine 
lives, but I think he has nine score/ Ano- 
ther said, * If he has, he shall die this day/ 
A third said, 9 Where is his horse ?' for he 
shall quit the town immediately/ And 
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they said to me, ' Order your horse to be 
brought to you ; for you shall go before we 
leave you/ I said, • I will not, for you 
Intend to kill me in private, that you may 
escape justice ; but if you do murder me 
it shall be in public, and it may be that 
the gallows may bring you to repentance, 
nnd your souls may be saved from the 
wrath to come/ Then one swore, if I 
would not go, they would put me into the 
draw well ; and they lifted up the lid of the 
well, and dragged me towards it i but a 
woman, biff with child, stood by the well, 
and pushed several of them down, so that 
they coufd not get me to it. Then two gen- 
tlewomen, who came out of the city, called 
the gentlemen by their names, that were 
striving to put me in ; who all let me go, 
and turning to the gentlewomen, they look- 
ed as men confounded. In the mean time, 
some friends got me up, and helped me in- 
to the house. Then all the mob set out for 
the city, singing debauched songs. This 
was on Easter Sunday. 

I heard one of them say, as he got into 
the coach, ' It is impossible for him to live \ 
and if John Wesley comes on Tuesday, we 
will kill him : then we shall be quite rid of 
the Methodists for ever ; for no one will 
dare to come, if they two be killed/ 

When they were gone, I sent for some- 
thing to sweat me ; and I sweat so violent- 
ly, that in the morning my shirt was as if 



MR. JOHN NEtSONf. 



211 



it had been stained with raw beef. But I 
was not so sore as I expected ; for I set out 
to meet Mr. Wesley, and was enabled to 
ride forty miles that day. 

I met him at Osmotherly, and heard him 
preach on a tomb-stone in the church-yard, 
to a large and serious congregation. I 
found his word to came with power to my 
soul, and was constrained to cry out, ' Q 
Lord, I will praise thee for thy goodness 
to me ; for thou hast been with me in all 
my trials : thou hast brought me out of the 
jaws of death ; and though thou didst per- 
mit men to ride over my head, aud laid af- 
flictions on my loins, yet thou hast brought 
me through fire and water into a wealthy 
place !' And indeed in all my persecutions, 
my soul was kept in peace, so that I nei- 
ther felt fear nor anger. 

So far, Lord, I am thy witness ; for thou 
dost give strength for the day, according 
to thy word, and grace to help in time of 
need. O my dear Redeemer, how shall I 
praise thee as thou oughtest to be praised ? 
O let my life be a living sacrifice to thee ; 
for it is by thee alone that 1 escaped both 
temporal and eternal death ! 

When 1 had told Mr. Wesley of the 
treatment I had met with, he blessed God 
for my deliverance. However, I advised 
him not to go to York at that time, but to 
go to Leeds : and God blessed his word to 
many souls at Leeds that week. 



212 THE JOURNAL OF 

Thus far I can say ' The Lord is my 
helper i O may I never grieve his Spirit, 
then will he be my guide unto death, and 
my portion for ever.' 

This is a plain narrative of the dealings 
of God and man with me, from my youth to 
the forty-second year of my natural life. 

JOHN NELSON. 



f!3 
A HYMN. 

O for a thousand tongues to sing 
My great Redeemer's praise ! 

The glories of my God and King, 
The triumphs of his grace ! 

My gracious master and my God, 

Assist me to proclaim, 
To spread through all the earth abroad 

The honours of thy name. 

Jesus, the name that charms our fears, * 
That bids our sorrows cease *, 

Tis music in the sinner's ears, 
'Tis life, and health, and peace. 

He breaks the power of cancell'd sin, 

He sets the prisoner free ; 
His blood can make the foulest clean, 

His blood avail'd for me. 

He speaks, and listening to his voice, 

New life the dead receive ; 
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice, 

The humble poor believe. 

Hear him, ye deaf, his praise, ye dumb, 
Your loosened tongues employ ; 

Ye blind, behold your Saviour come, 
And leap, ye lame, for*joy. 

Look unto him, ye nations ; own 

Your God, ye fallen race ; 
Look, and be sav'd through faith alone, 

Be justified by grace ! 



214 



See all our sins on Jesus laid, 

The Lamb of God was slain ; 
His soul was once an offering made 

For every soul of man. 

Harlots, and publicans, and thieves, 

In holy triumph join \ 
Sav'd is the sinner that believes, 

From crimes as great as mine. 

Drunkards, and all ye hellish crew, 
BlackenM with lust and pride : 

Believe the Saviour died for you, 
And feel his blood applied. 

Awake from guilty nature's sleep, 
And Christ shall give you light ; 

Cast all your sins into the deep, 
And wash the JEthiop white. 

With me, (your chief,) ye then shall know, 
Shall feel your sins forgiven *, 

Anticipate your heaven below, 
And own that Love is Heaven. 



FINIS. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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